Shinigami no Kage
by Ilessthan3Yaoi
Summary: Have you heard? About the kid so dark and evil, it's like the Shinigami walks the human realm again? They call him the Shinigami's Shadow. Don't close your eyes because before you open them, he'll have you in an eternal darkness. Yaoi, Blood, Gore, and Violence. Dark!Naru
1. Trust

**Title: Shinigami no Kage**

**Rated: M**

**Category: Naruto**

**Genre: Adventure/Romance/Horror/Humor**

**Beta'd By: Nobody :3**

**Rated For: Blood Gore Swearing Lemons**

**Pairing: Undecided D:**

**Summary:**_ Have you heard? About the kid so dark and evil, it's like the Shinigami walks the human realm again? They call him the Shinigami's Shadow. Don't close your eyes because before you open them, he'll have you in an eternal darkness._

**Heart-chan: Haaaaai my sexy readers! For those who are following my profile, this is the rewritten version of Sono Retsu Enkin. For those of you who came here from said story – well you know what the deal is. And for all the new people, HI! So! Here's the story! Enjoy, my pretties~**

**~YaoiLemons~**

_**Chapter 1:** Trust_

There was an eerie silence that cloaked the village hidden in the leaves, making the normally busy and lively village seem like a ghost town. It seemed as though all of Konoha's inhabitants were in their beds, sleeping tight for the busy day tomorrow.

But of course, there's always an exception to everything.

A small, blond haired boy raced through the empty streets of Konoha, his breath coming out in harsh, short pants. Behind him was a small crowd of about six people, all brandishing a weapon of some sort. Of those numbers, at least half were ninja, given the hitai-ate they wore. The young blond took a sharp right down an alleyway. Crystalline blue eyes widened as his saw the large brick wall preventing his escape.

"There he is!" He whipped around to see his pursuers blocking the only exit to the alley. He backed slowly into the wall and started to shake but didn't make a peep. A ninja stepped out from the crowd and walked slowly toward the blond who held his arms in front of his face and started to cry. The shinobi cracked his knuckles and pulled his fist back and slugged the young child across the face. The blond fell to the ground without a sound. He tried to push himself up from the ground the shinobi stomped on his back, pushing him back to ground. "Today, we will take revenge on the vile demon that wrecked our village and ruined our families!" The other members of the crowd made murmurs of agreement. The ninja smirked cruelly and drew a sword from its sheath on his back and stabbed it straight down towards the child's neck. However something, or rather some_one_, caught the blade of the sword. The weapon was yanked from its owner and the man was shoved off of the blond.

The blond pushed himself off the ground, his bangs falling in front of his eyes. In his bleeding hand was the hilt of the ninja's sword. He spat a glob of blood on the fallen ninja's Chunin vest. The shinobi glared and opened his mouth to yell when the blond looked up. The alley was coated in a layer of killer intent, leaking from the seven year old blond. His eyes were bloody red and catlike. There was a sinister smile on his face and the trail of blood running down the side of his mouth didn't nothing to make him seem less demented. This blond was completely different from the defenseless child they were chasing just a few minutes ago. _'How quick__ly__ the tables have turned,'_ the blond thought to himself. "You seem quite surprised to see me like this." His voice was soft and teasing. "Demon is what you like to call me, no?" He walked closer to the ninja and poked him in the crotch with blade of the sword. The shinobi gulped and nodded. "Then why is it that when I play the part you pin to me, you get so upset? Hm?" He dragged the blood-soaked tip of the sword down the ninja's face and he shuddered. Naruto sneered. "Pathetic."

Someone rushed out of the crowd with a war cry, his shovel poised above his head. He was obviously a civilian, judging by his form and lack of proper weaponry. With one swift swing of the arm, Naruto took the running man's head off. The man stopped running and dropped his shovel and his head slipped off his shoulders before his body fell to the ground. Naruto smirked. "Anyone else?" With that, all of the civilians in the crowd screamed and attempted to evacuate the alleyway.

Attempted, being the keyword here.

The young Jinchuuriki swiped his hand upward and black, shadowy tendrils shot up in the entrance of the alley, forming cell bars. The two remaining civilians slammed into the bars and fell to the ground but quickly scrambled to their feet. "Ah ah ah~!" Naruto sung, stabbing the ninja at his feet in the head. He left the blade lodged in the man's skull and stalked like a predator towards the other in the makeshift cage. One of the ninja jumped in the air but another black tendril plucked him out the air and pulled his down towards the ground. Other tendrils surrounded him until he was wrapped in a cocoon of shadows. Naruto clenched one of his hands into a fist and the cocoon tightened and the man trapped inside screamed in anguish until his body exploded into a fountain of blood. "I can't have you bumbling fools escaping and telling your idiots friends about what happened here." The blond swung both his hands up, catching both of the civilians in his shadows. The tendrils wrapped around their limbs and necks and Naruto stalked towards his two victims, bypassing the last shinobi. The man took that as his opportunity to run however a shadow speared him right through the heart and he tripped over his comrade, dead before he hit the ground. The last remaining men were trembling and crying, trying fruitlessly to get out of their shadowy bindings. Naruto stopped in front of them. "It's been nice meeting you and all but my first day of the academy is tomorrow. Goodbye." He swiped his hands down and the tendrils ripped the two limb from limb, decapitating them as well. Their blood splattered all over the blond child and his face twisted into an evil, shit-eating grin. He backed into the shadows of the alley, his body obscured, before disappearing completely, the bars in the entrance disappearing with their master.

**~YaoiLemons~**

The twittering of the birds and the rays of sun shining through his window woke him from his slumber, and sleepy blue eyes blinked a few times. He yawned and sat up, rubbing at his eyes. He slipped out of bed and stalked over to his mirror, stretching and sighing. The nine year old ran his fingers through shaggy blond hair, eying his black tips. He had always wondered where he got is abilities from. It seemed no one had an ability to control darkness quite like he did. "Although the Nara clan came kind of close," he muttered to himself. He walked off to the bathroom to do his morning routine and exited about thirty minutes later in a towel. He tossed the towel on the bed after drying his hair, baring his nakedness to the world. He dug around in his drawers and retrieved his underwear and black undershirt before opening his closet and getting the kill me orange jumpsuit he forced himself to wear. He shrugged the jacket on and zipped it up and wiggled on his pants before walking towards the door. Slipping on his sandals, he stepped out his apartment, locking the door behind him.

He got his normal glares and muttered hateful words as he walked to the academy. But they didn't fazed him. After all, why would it? One cannot continued to be hurt by the same things over and over again.** "Kit," **came the gruff voice of his tenant and mentor.

"_Hm?"_

"**Do you ever wonder if they know for sure?"** Naruto raised an eyebrow but smirked nonetheless. Ever since three years ago, he stopped taking the villagers shit all together. Every time he was cornered and beaten, he retaliated with tenfold the brutality. But did anyone ever find out?

"_Of course not. The idiots are too sure that I'm bringer of all evil to even think of finding out for sure. There could be a missing ninja here and they'd blame me for everything he did."_ He tenant was quiet for a moment before chuckling.

"**Quite the clever one as always, Naruto-chan."** The blond snorted to himself as he entered the academy building. He walked into his classroom and purposely took a seat in the back, putting his head down. He drowned out the noise of the classroom and relaxed, opening his eyes to the sewer-like setting that housed the giant demon fox sealed in his gut. **"So nice of you to see me, kitten."** The blond sat down by the cage, laying against one of the giant bars. **"To what do I do the honor?"** Naruto snorted.

"Is a crime to come and see my dear friend when I have nothing better to do in school?" Kurama chuckled. He was then shrouded in his red chakra and it ebbed away to reveal a tall red-haired man. He too leaned against the bars of the cage. "Have _you_ ever wondered where I get these powers from?"

"**I have. However, I've sealed within humans the past century so I'm not exactly up to date on all the kekkai genkai of the shinobi world."**

"Touche."

"**You have to go now kit."** Naruto frowned at this. **"From what I can see, it's time for you and your human classmates to go outside and practice weapon throwing." **With a deep sigh and a groan, the blond stood up and shuffled away from the cage. **"Perhaps today is the day for you start showing your true self. There are only three more years of the academy."** Naruto smirked and bowed to his tenant, looking at him with mischievous blue eyes through blond bangs.

"Perhaps."

**~YaoiLemons~**

The blond stalked over to a tree, leaning against the cool wood with a sigh of content. He watched through hooded eyes as the students gathered around their two teachers. Stupid idiots. They had three years to get their asses in gear or else they would be dead as soon as they graduated. "Okay, so who wants to go first?" Iruka asked as he stood next to Mizuki, a light grey haired Chunin who was the brunette's _best friend. _Not many hands were raised as the students were nervous and wanted to compare their skills by watching the others first. Kiba's hand was the first to shoot up, followed by Sasuke, and a couple other kids irrelevant kids in his class. "Alright Kiba, you're first, then Sasuke, then Ami, then…" He droned the brunette Chunin out, falling into his own little world.

Umino Iruka. One of the first beings to recognize Naruto as the crazy little bastard he was.

And the first ever to take a hit for the blond child.

It was one of the usual nights where he was getting chased by the villagers and he just happened to bump in to Iruka while trying to escape. The brunette fought as hard as he could only to fall victim to the bastard Hyuuga that was in the crowd. As a result, Iruka's chakra pathways were utterly destroyed and he could never be a ninja again. That night was the night he killed someone. That was the night he started changing.

And that was the night he vowed to never let someone else take a hit for him.

At first it confused him – why would someone ever put their neck out for him? Was it all a lie? Like every other act of kindness was? For a week, he went into hiding, paranoid that there would be others trying to harm him. Eventually hunger and guilt started gnawing at him and he ran to the Hokage, begging him to let the blond see the kind Chunin who protected him. After a meal and bath, he was standing at the edge of Iruka's bed, apologizing and crying at the same time. The brunette gave him a kind smile and told it was alright.

And that was a start of a wonderful, twisted, and beautiful friendship.

Blue eyes fluttered open just in time to see Kiba hit the third ring from the bull's eye with his third shuriken, the other two stars and his three kunai all off in the field somewhere. He rolled his eyes – it took him that long to throw six weapons? The blond grunted and got up from the ground as the kids had a good laugh at Kiba and his failure. He heard one kid yell out, "Well that's not too high of a score to beat huh, Kiba?" Naruto snickered lightly to himself as he got in line behind the purple haired girl. Kiba growled, flushed with embarrassment as he and his puppy made their way back to the back of the crowd. He, still feeling proud with his results regardless, of course decided to poke fun at the blond, having already forgotten what happened only moments before.

"Oh, look what we have here! The dead-last thinks he can actually hit the targets!" he declared loudly, attracting the attention of all the other students. A look from Naruto kept Iruka from interfering and Mizuki could care less. "Don't poke your eye out worthless. Then you won't be able to be a ninja. Oh wait – you never had a chance in the first place! Ha!" Most the other students started laughing at the blond whose ice chip blue eyes narrowed at him.

"Even if I don't hit at all, our scores wouldn't be too different, seeing as you only hit the target_ once_." This remark started off another bout of laughter from the children. Kiba flushed and growled. The taller boy grabbed the blond's collar and pulled him off the ground, glaring.

"Listen here you punk! You think you're worth anything compared to me? I'm from the Inuzuka clan, an elite clan of hunters! My clan has been the hunter division of the ANBU for years! And where are your parents huh? Who the hell is the Uzumaki clan? Where are they? Where's your mommy and daddy? Oh that's right. They're _DEAD_! They and everyone else in your stupid clan died because they were weak and worthless! Just like you!" With that, the brunette threw the blond to the ground.

Anger.

That's all he could feel coursing through his veins. Hot, red, boiling **anger**. He would kill the ungrateful little shit stain. How _dare_ he mock his parents! He knew exactly who his parents and the sacrifice they made just to keep him alive. It was bad enough this village didn't even honor his father's dying wish but for this brat to call his parents _worthless_? It was unforgivable. Naruto growled loudly and stood up to pounce on the brunette when the raven haired Uchiha stepped his and socked Kiba in his face. Naruto's eyes widened. _'But why is he standing up for me? I've done nothing to help him.'_

"**The Uchiha Massacre, kit. I guess one can say you two are in the same boat."** He watched with hazy eyes as Sasuke wailed on Kiba's face only to be pulled back by Iruka and Mizuki. The crowd was silent save for Kiba's groans of pains and Iruka muttering to Sasuke to calm him down. However, the raven calming down. Iruka's hold seemed only piss him off more. Despite bleeding from the nose, Kiba was angry as well, his animalistic alpha male side coming to the forefront.

"You stupid submissive bitch! You're worthless! Everyone _always_ has to come to your defense because you can't protect yourself. You weakling! You should just rot in hell with the rest of your family!" Naruto screamed in anger and jumped the brunette, further abusing the Inuzuka's face. Iruka passed Sasuke over Mizuki and rushed over to Naruto, pulling him off of Kiba. He pulled the blond into a hug, rocking him back and forth and whispering sweet little nothings, much like a mother would. Eventually the blond calmed down, laying still in Iruka's grasp. Mizuki had already ushered Sasuke inside and came back outside with an icepack for Kiba's nose. Iruka stood up with Naruto still in his arms.

"Alright everybody, back inside for now. After we get these three settled, we'll come back outside and finish up our weapon throwing." There were groans of disappointment and annoyance.

"Thanks a lot, Kiba!"

"Yeah, now we have to go back inside!" The young brunette growled lowly as Mizuki ushered him inside as well.

**~YaoiLemons~**

The three young boys sat quietly in the classroom, doing their best to not make a peep. Sasuke stared out the window, every now and again chancing a glance at Naruto. Kiba was pressing the ice to his face glaring at the both the raven and the blond. And finally, Naruto was sitting with his head on his desk, speaking with the ever-present presence in his head.

"_..."_

"**Kit, calm down. We both know damn well he's a no good imbecile but why are you so angry?"**

"_Because I've come to the realization that this village is hopeless. Even it's young is tainted by the idiocy of their elders."_ Kurama went quiet for a moment.

"**It's because he came to your rescue isn't it? You may be powerful kitten, but you've got to trust people some times."**

"_He'll be nothing but a nuisance. And why are you being such a hypocrite? You separated yourself from your eight siblings. They were your family. And you want to preach to me about trust?"_

"**I trust you."** Naruto was stunned into silence by those simple three words. **"You may think you're able to hide your emotions and thoughts but we are bound together. I know you better then you know yourself. And that's why I trust you. You've been alone all your life. That's why you got so angry today. And that's why you're so scared to trust people." **Naruto said nothing, trying to ignore is tenant. **"I won't vouch for Uchiha but if we were to trust someone, it would be him. He's a loner. Nothing to hold on to here. And once he learns the truth,"** Kurama trailed off. Naruto smirked.

"_He'll hate this place as much as I do."_

**~YaoiLemons~**

Naruto trekked slowly and aimlessly through the crowded streets, not ready to get back to his apartment building. He ignored the glares and hateful words and kept walking, opting for staring the ground rather than straight ahead. Soon, the number of people walking by lessened and he was eventually walking on a dirt road, towards his usual place for quiet, an empty dock. It was on Uchiha ground but nobody was there most times. He stopped and climbed down to the wooden planks, kicking off his shoes and dipping his feet into the cool water. The smallest of smiles cracked on his face and he closed his eyes, leaning back on his arms, soaking in the sun that bathed his skin. "Hey." Blue eyes snapped open and he whipped around to face the only surviving Uchiha in Konoha. The raven was standing at the top of the stairs to the dock and was steadily coming down the stairs.

"What are you doing here?" the blond demanded. Sasuke didn't answer but slipped off his sandals and sat next to the blond. Naruto scoffed and placed his elbows on his knees, propping his head up with his hands. They sat in silence for a while, basking in the sun.

"**Aw, look at you two. All calm and serene."**

"_Shut. Up."_

"We really messed Kiba's face up today, huh?" Naruto gave the raven a sidewards glance.

"Yeah... I guess we did."

"So, you want to train together some time?"

"Sure."

And it was the start of another beautifully twisted friendship.

**~YaoiLemons~**

**Heart-chan: So this first chapter is somewhat shorter than the original but hey, I like it. Review and Favorite and Follow and all that good stuff! See ya!**


	2. Shinigami

**Title: Shinigami no Kage**

**Rated: M**

**Category: Naruto**

**Genre: Adventure/Romance/Horror/Humor**

**Beta'd By: Nobody :3**

**Rated For: Blood Gore Swearing Lemons**

**Pairing: Undecided D:**

**Summary:**_ Have you heard? About the kid so dark and evil, it's like the Shinigami walks the human realm again? They call him the Shinigami's Shadow. Don't close your eyes because before you open them, he'll have you in an eternal darkness._

**Heart-chan: Ello ello! Here is the next chapter of my lovely rewrite. Given the name, I decided to go more in depth on Naruto's encounter with the Shinigami. So yeah. Enjoy!**

**~YaoiLemons~**

**_Chapter 2:_**_ Shinigami_

The moon bathed the village in an eerie glow, making shadows come alive and the silence of the village a bit unnerving. While most villagers were tucked in their beds, nice and comfy, a little blond was still up and about. Quite the common occurrence. Just after sunset, the village pariah had sneaked out of the village gates, intent on doing a little investigating.

In the past recent weeks, there had been an unusual spike in casualties, civilian and shinobi alike. While most of the people of the village civilians blamed him, as usual, the killings all happened outside the village, not too far off from the gates. And if it was one thing Naruto didn't do, it was to go out of his way to kill someone. So Naruto, having absolutely nothing better to do, – and admittedly quite curious as to what could kill so many people practically while within the village without getting caught – Naruto set out to investigate.

"**This is a stupid idea, you know,"** Kurama grumbled as his host creeped around silently in the forest surrounding Konoha. Naruto grinned.

"_Aw, is Kura-chan scared?"_ The blond snickered when the fox snorted in annoyance.

"**As if. I just have a bad feeling about this."** Now that quipped the blond's curiosity.

"_If that's so, then this must be something powerful."_

"**And possibly more powerful than me, as much as I hate to admit it."** With that, Kurama faded deeper into Naruto's subconscious, opting to observe quietly. Naruto stopped as he felt a powerful aura, it hitting him with such a force, he had to take a few steps back. With it came a whispering and an overwhelming urge to come towards the aura.

_Come closer..._

_We won't bite..._

_You're just like us..._

_One with the **shadows**..._

Naruto whipped in different directions, trying to find the source of the voices. They seemed to be coming from everywhere, the thought making a shiver run down the blond's spine. He gulped and steeled himself as he took hesitant steps forward, his conscious telling him to run away while every fiber of his being told him to come closer. He finally found himself in the middle of a clearing, the tops of the trees being too thick to allow but a few beams of moonlight to illuminate where he was. With a jump, he noticed with his enhanced vision that the shadows were moving, in ways much like his very own dark abilities.

_Oh yes, he **is** much like us..._

_Our master chose nicely..._

_Yes, yes indeed he did..._

_Our master makes no mistakes..._

Quite annoyed with being talked about like he wasn't there, Naruto growled. "I'd appreciate if you'd let me know who you... _things_ are. The village leader isn't too pleased with the recent killings."

_Show us..._

_Yes, shows us those abilities of yours..._

_Let us embrace them..._

_Then we'll alert our master of your worthiness..._

"Worthiness?" Naruto muttered. "Worthiness of what? Being killed? And how do you know of my abilities? I kill all whom I've ever showed them to." This was _obviously_ not one of the idiot villagers he killed when he was on his sprees.

_The shadows know **everything**..._

_And we know you are able to control us..._

_You stain us with blood..._

_And you do it quite often..._

"If you shadows are as all knowing as you claim, then you know why I must soak you in the blood of my victims." Naruto scratched his face. "Sorry I guess."

_We know **exactly** who you are..._

_The Kyuubi Jinchuuriki..._

_Our master has dealt with someone of your blood before..._

_Indeed that they made you who you are..._

Naruto raised an eyebrow. _'They must be talking about Tou-san.'_

"**Naruto, if their master is who I think it is, you might what to stop beating around the bush."**

"_Hai, I'll be good like you said, mother."_ Despite mocking the Bijuu, the blond called forth his shadows, letting them dance about freely. Suddenly, his shadows, as well as the shadows dancing among the trees, shot forward, centered on a spot not too far in front of the blond. They started spinning in a column that grew taller and taller until they vanished to reveal a tall, white haired male. His skin was smooth with a purple tinge to it. Horns stuck out his long, thick mane of hair and long, sharp fangs rested on his bottom lip. He was decked in pure white robes that blended easily with his hair. The male looked up at the blond, revealing him to look about the age of a 25 year old man with black holes for eyes. Naruto almost thought the male's eyes were gouged out if it wasn't for the light purple slit pupils in his eyes. This man radiated power, a definite force to be reckoned with.

"**Shinigami-sama...?"** Naruto gasped, fear gripping his being.

"S-Shinigami? Kurama, what are you t-talking about!" he yelled to himself. He received silence from his tenant and stumbled backwards when the Shinigami chuckled, the sound making the blond's heart stop.

"**So _this_ is the one my minions were telling me about. The wee child I sealed Kyuubi-chan into almost ten years ago. My, my, you've grown, Uzumaki Naruto."** The blond kept quiet, attempting to get a grip on his fear. He took a deep breath and looked straight into the Shinigami's eyes.

"S-So your minions have been killing people just to find _me_? What if I never came?"

"**Naruto don't question him! You'll get us both killed!"** Kurama yelled, panicked.

"**It's fine, Kurama. He's a child. Besides, I've got some special plans set out for you, Naruto,"** the death god said. **"My job gets quite boring sometimes and being summoned by people who know your clan's kinjutsu is the only source of entertainment I get. On top of that, my ever so lovely sister Kami and her stupid angel have been meddling in the human world. So I thought it only fair my demons and I get to meddle too."** He grinned, as if he won best thing in the world. **"Only _I_ don't have to worry about my apprentice going all goody-goody-two-shoes on me as she has to worry about her apprentices going evil."** Naruto's eyes widened.

"Apprentice? Not that I don't appreciate it but why me?"

"**Because child, you're already tainted with my gift."**

"Your gift? And how?"

"**As I said before, I aided in Kurama's sealing. Took half his soul and chakra, sealed it within myself along with the soul of your father, then sealed the other half of his soul and chakra in you. I'm pretty sure you're the only human, or half human rather, to be tainted by my presence." **Seeing the blond's poorly hidden confusion, the god elaborated. **"Your mother was already a Jinchuuriki, therefore making you a somewhat pseudo or incomplete half demon. Then when Kurama was sealed inside you, you became a full half demon. Quite simple actually."**

"Oh," was the oh-so intelligent reply. "So you have one apprentice, me, and Kami has more than one?" The Shinigami nodded. "Uh-huh, now what all goes into being your apprentice? Surely there's some kind of catch, right?"

"**Well there _would_ be if you were a wimp and against killing, but you're not, so it's not necessary a catch. Basically, every now and again, I'll summon you to me and give you a mental checklist of who all is on the 'To Die' list, as I call it. People who are on that list are basically people who are either destined to die or have pissed Kami or I off. Such as the fools who toy with immortality. You will also be looking for fragments of a scythe you'll use when you become a full-fledged grim reaper! The only one in existence too!"** The blond cocked his head to the side the Shinigami's slight excitement. **"You'll be like my child, a mini-me if you will. And you'll be making my job a whole lot easier." **

"Well, I can't exactly leave the village right now."

"**I'm aware. In three years time, you'll the experience you'll need to start reaping."** He looked at his wrist as if looking at a watch. **"Well my time on this plain is up for now." **He stalked over the blond, tilting his head up with a black-clawed finger. **"And now my two parting gifts." **Within his free hand, a short, jagged edge sword that looked to be in shambles materialized. **"Jaakai, the blade you are to complete." **He dropped the blade in the ground near the blond and smirked, pitch black twinkling in mischief. **"And finally my _special_ gift – control over darkness itself."** With that, the deity sunk his large fangs in the blond's tanned neck. Naruto gave a slight cry of pain, a feeling akin to fire spreading across back making his arch just before his world faded into darkness.

**~YaoiLemons~**

The morning sun shined brightly down on the awakening citizens of Konohagakure. Civilian men and women alike trekked slowly to their jobs, sleep still keeping them in a light embrace. Ninja jumped from rooftop to rooftop, attending to missions or going to meet up with their teams, some even heading to their respective posts, all being ever-so-slightly groggy. However, even at this early hour, there were a group of young individuals, all excited for one reason.

Today was the day of the Genin Graduation exams.

Excitement and nervousness were the primary emotions swirling around within these young beings. This was a very big day indeed! Passing or failing this exam pretty much determined whether or not the past five or more years of ninja training were worth it! This day was a day that was very important to _all_ of the class of the current year..

Well... all except one.

Naruto growled in irritation as his unnecessarily loud alarm clock started it's shrieking, the incessant noise baring down on his sensitive ears. He pulled a pillow over his head and huffed, trying to drown out the noise. The ringing only seemed to get louder as if mocking the blond, taunting him with the fact that he was never _ever_ going to be rid of the –

"That's _it_!"

The blond jumped out of bed and snatched the ringing device off the nightstand, promptly flinging it out the open window with a _bit_ too much force. He plopped back in bed to hear the sound of it colliding with a trash can, the bin exploding with the force of the alarm clock, blowing it contents everyone. Naruto snuggled deep into his covers, sighing in content at the screaming and shouts of surprise. _'Causing trouble and I'm not even fully awake yet,' _he thought to himself.

"**Kitten, as much as I enjoy seeing you torture lowly fools with electronic devices and rotting food, you ought to be on your way to the academy lest you want to be trapped in the village for another year."** Naruto grumbled as Kurama interrupted his fun, flinging the covers off of him and stepped onto the cold floor. The blond yawned and shuffled to the bathroom. He eyed himself in the mirror – shaggy, shoulder length blond hair with black tips that fell into a black bang in front of his right eye, brilliant, wide blue eyes surrounded by long blond lashes that blinked in sleepiness as he clinked sharp fangs against each other in boredom, and a boyish face with a hint a femininity and six whisker-like scars on his face. He quickly ran through his morning routine and exited the bathroom. Flinging open the closet, he begrudgingly grabbed his black undershirt and kill-me orange jumpsuit, changing quickly. With one last once-over in the mirror, the blond exited his apartment.

He ignored the hated looks he got as he walked pass. Nobody was brave enough to say anything to him but they whispered.

"_There's the demon child."_

"_I hope he fails."_

"_He doesn't deserve to be alive."_

He never paid no heed to what they said – why would he? He was a miniature Shinigami in training, blessed with the gift of darkness. And what could they do? Nothing. He was given no more time to reflect as the academy came into view and he went into the familiar build and sat in his normal seat next to his friend, putting his head on the desk. "'Sup Sasuke." he muttered lightly. Sasuke grunted back, trying not to attract any attention to himself with talking. Soon after the last couple students poured into the classroom, Iruka and Mizuki finally joined them, Iruka probably happier than all his students combined.

"Hello class! Sadly this my second to last day with you all." On the inside, he snorted, grinning victoriously. _'Ha! Good bye you hell spawns! I can finally retire in peace and never have to teach stupid little kids again!'_ he thought. "Today, some of you will become ninjas and some of you won't. But don't worry! There's always next time! I wish you all good luck. Now would Shino please come to the back room so we can test you?" The silent boy complied, and followed his two teachers to the back. Slowly the number of students decreased, most coming out the room with smiles on their faces, their new hitai-ate tied somewhere on their person, while others came out sad, angry, even in tears, some going as far as to punch the students who passed. Naruto grinned as he watched the exchange with amusement. Given that Naruto and Sasuke were close to the last people in line, the two conversed silently, going over their plan.

"The Top Rookie and the dobe, hm?" Sasuke mused. "They sure know how to make the worst feel even worse, even thought I understand the tactic." Naruto snickered quietly.

"You'd think with all the teamwork bullshit they spew here, they would at least put two people who work together well on a team. But no, but the vengeful dobe and the arrogant rookie on a team together. They'll just be at each other's necks all the time." The two orphans snickered together, finding amusement in that flaws of the Konoha team arrangements. "So who exactly do you think we'll be paired with?"

"Well it's going to be someone in between our 'abilities'. Yamanaka, Nara, and Akimichi are out due to the Ino-Shika-Cho team and Hyuuga, Inuzuka, and Aburame are out too because they're all trackers. So if we don't land with a nobody, we're most likely getting chained with Haruno." Naruto groaned to himself – of _course_ he'd get paired with the loudest, most useless bitch in the entire class. She clashed terribly with his sensitive ears and no tolerance for nonsense. Naruto opened his mouth to reply but stopped short when a hand slammed down on his desk. Clawed fingers and grey coat sleeve revealed the asshole to be no other than Inuzuka Kiba, Naruto's number one antagonizer. Sasuke continued to stare at the front of the classroom but watched the situation out of the corner of his eyes.

"Well look at what we have here. You actually bothered to show up, Uzumaki. For no reason of course because you're bound to fail. No name trash like you fade into the background quickly after failing the exams. It happens all the time." Naruto glanced up, giving the brunette a bored look.

"With the multiple ass kickings you've received from me over the years, one would think you'd have enough since to leave me alone." Kiba snorted, pointing at his hitai-ate.

"I have officially become a ninja and you're still a civilian. So you better show some respect before I shove one of my ninjutsu up your ass, Uzumaki." Sasuke snorted from the side.

"Your insults sure do lack in taste, Inuzuka." Kiba sneered at the raven.

"Oh, stop sticking up for your boyfriend all the time. You two can go touch each other later," Kiba said loudly, confident that his insult was a low blow. However, neither Naruto nor Sasuke batted an eyelash the wild boy's pokes and jabs at Naruto's sexuality.

"Such a lack in common sense, it's shameful," Naruto muttered before placing his head back on the desk. At the blatant dismissal, Kiba growled and stomped off.

"Uchiha Sasuke!" Iruka called from the back room. Said boy rose from his seat with grace that made Ino swoon as he walked by. Naruto leaned back in his chair, a huge grin on his face – this was going to be quite entertaining.

**~YaoiLemons~**

**Heart-chan: And done! Geez, just about three thousand words! This chapter here in Shinigami no Kage served pretty much the same purpose as Chapter two in Sono Retsu Enkin, only this one went more in depth on Naruto's roll and how the title plays into all of this. I plan on using the main three weapons I mention in the Sono Retsu Enkin version of this chapter. Jaakai (Wicked Death) will be the incomplete blade he has now, Konstu (Soul Stealer) will be a battle axe looking thing that will be used for reaping – give it's name, and Makkigen (Hell Riser) will be a bladed hammer used for pretty much raising hell! The three together will be known as Karikama (Weapons of Death). Also, yes I used Kuroshitsuji's 'To Die' list because I love that show and it fits right in the story without much hassle of renaming it to something stupid. I don't own the idea. AND there is a poll on my profile with a vote of whom Naruto should be with. If _someone from Konoha_ or _someone from Akatsuki_ wins, there will be a second poll with those separate options. The poll will close when I finally get around to romantic relations, which won't be anytime soon. Each chapter, I will give an update of the poll results here, at the end of the chapter. So yeah. Go vote. Now. Review!**


	3. Team

**Title: Shinigami no Kage**

**Rated: M**

**Category: Naruto**

**Genre: Adventure/Romance/Horror/Humor**

**Beta'd By: Nobody :3**

**Rated For: Blood Gore Swearing Lemons**

**Pairing: Undecided D:**

**Summary:**_ Have you heard? About the kid so dark and evil, it's like the Shinigami walks the human realm again? They call him the Shinigami's Shadow. Don't close your eyes because before you open them, he'll have you in an eternal darkness._

**Heart-chan: My story gets no love! *tears* But it's quite alright! I will continue to write. The yaoi fans will get here eventually right? *facedesk* Well here's chapter three of Shinigami no Kage. Enjoy! (Please please please review! When I don't get any reviews, I feel like no one likes the story and it makes me kinda unwilling to write. I will try to keep updating but why update a story no one will read?)**

**~YaoiLemons~**

_**Chapter 3:** Team_

To people, Naruto was many things – a nuisance, an apprentice, a vermin, a monster, an idiot, a **flamboyant drama queen** – but to himself, he was a logical prodigy, stuck in a village filled to the brim with hypocritical idiots. He, quite frankly, was the black sheep of the village. Your usual black sheep was a loner, someone who didn't try to blend in with the crowd or find individuals such as itself. Black sheep kept to the shadows, hoping to go unnoticed by the great masses of white sheep.

Naruto wasn't exactly the dictionary black sheep. In fact, he wasn't a dictionary anything.

Despite the hate he received daily and the many higher-ups after his blood, the blond never took a great deal of effort to remain hidden and inconspicuous. Hence the reason he was trekking slowly through the busiest part of the village, fanged smirk on his face as the villagers took in his new appearance. He wore a simple black, skintight v-neck shirt and black, baggy cargo pants. Around his neck was a black chain and dangling from it was a small, flame-shaped, black gem that pulsed bloody red every now and again. But that wasn't what caught everyone's attention. No, it was the downright demonic looking blade on his back made of shiny black metal and inscribed with dark golden ruins and designs. Near the hilt was an indent with the same shape as the gem on his necklace. The people around him could obviously feel the power radiating from the blade and that's what scared them the most. Naruto rolled his eyes and entered the academy, taking notice that Sasuke had yet to arrive. He removed Jaakai and its sheath from his back and propped it against the desk, stretching out with catlike grace. All attention was drawn to him and his new outfit. The silence was broken with a sigh.

"Naruto, you do realize this last day is for graduates _only_, right?" asked the lazy genius Shikamaru. Naruto gave him a lazy smile, arching up to show the brunette his red-clothed hitai-ate tied around his waist. Shikamaru shook his head and placed it back on the desk. "Troublesome," he offered before dozing off. Sasuke entered the classroom not too long after, gaining the attention of pretty much all the girls in the room. He was decked in a dark red shirt, with simple black shinobi pants. Not a really significant change to his wardrobe but the fact that his shirt showed much of the young Uchiha's muscle under the shirt was enough to please his endless crowd of fangirls. He plopped down next to his blond friend, placing his hands behind his head. Naruto snorted and shook his head at the smirk Sasuke gave him, rolling his eyes.

"And you call me an attention whore, Count Uchiha." Sasuke laughed lightly, a rich sound that made the girls swoon. All attention was drawn from him and his laughter when the Genin heard the sound of a stampede heading towards the door. The door slammed open, leaving an imprint of the doorknob in the wall. Ino and Sakura forced their way through the doorway, tripping and falling to the floor, much to the class's amusement. The girls, however, were unaware of this fact as they started yelling at each other.

"I was here **first**, pig!"

"No you weren't forehead! My foot was in front of yours by a centimeter!"

"No it **wasn't**!" Naruto clenched his teeth together in agitation as the loud voices pounded on his eardrums. One would think _ninja_ wouldn't be so god damn loud.

"Yes it **was**!"

"You **cheated**!"

"No, **you** did!" He snapped. He stood up from his seat quickly, growling viciously at the two. Though apparently somebody beat him to it.

"If you two _harpies_ don't shut up, I'm gonna rip your mouths off and shove them up your asses!" Kiba yelled at them, his partner barking and spitting in agreement. The two rounded on him, ready to give him a tongue lashing when they spotted the black clad blond settling back in the seat next to their Sasuke-kun. They had graduated, this was their time to shine and get Sasuke-kun to notice them. The two Kunoichi turned away from the Inuzuka and opted to glare at the half demon was his arms and legs crossed. They chose however to ignore him in favor of talking to said Uchiha of their disgusting wet dreams.

"Sasuke-kun is this seat taken?" the pinkette asked in sickeningly sweet voice. Naruto's eyebrow twitched – did they seriously just ignore him? Did they not notice the brutal, divine blade resting next to him?

_'Of course not. And if they did, they would probably think Jaakai is Sasuke's,'_ the blond thought with a roll of his eyes. Sasuke's black-as-night eyes focused on the two thirteen year old girls before him, a perfect black eyebrow raising.

"I don't know ladies, you tell me – is the seat taken?" Sakura nodded.

"Yeah, of course Sasuke-kun. Naruto-baka is sitting there."

"Then there's the answer to your question. Now leave me be, you two are annoying." Ino and Sakura looked miffed at their dismissal and turned the one person keeping them from Sasuke.

"Alright Naruto," Ino started, "We've been nice. Now get up. Everyone here knows you're not supposed to be here. You're the dead-last of the class and no one wants you here. So do us all a favor and leave." Naruto stared at her a long while, saying nothing. Ino sighed in exasperation, flicking her long blond hair behind her back. "Sakura here will even go on a date with you," she added, ignoring Sakura's squawk of disagreement. A grin worked it's way over the younger blond's face.

"Let's get some things straight here, _ladies_," he said, standing to his full height, standing a few inches taller than her. He pouted mockingly. "It _hurts_ me to know that you actually believe someone can be that stupid and naïve, especially to fall in love with the shallow, loud-mouthed bitch we all know as Sakura." He whipped around, facing the class. "In fact I'd like all you to know that Naruto-baka is gone. He never existed. With that said, I'd appreciate if you all would stop treating me as you treated him." Kiba snorted loudly from the back of the class. The blond's blue catlike eyes swiveled over to the Inuzuka. "Have something to say, mutt?"

"Yeah I do. Someone doesn't go from being a dobe all their life to being someone actually worth sometime in the span of one day." Beside the Inuzuka, the Aburame heir spoke up.

"While that is true, the weak person could just be hiding their true strength," Shino said, his voice soft and quiet. He pushed his shades up his nose, looking up at his blond classmate. "Isn't that right, Uzumaki-san? A true ninja mustn't reveal all his cards at the start, allowing the enemy to develop a strategy against him." Naruto smirked, mischief dancing in his eyes.

"Right you are." Before Kiba, Sakura, or Ino could say anymore, the door opened to reveal Iruka, looking like he just rolled out of bed. His hair was out of its usual ponytail and he was clad in naught but a white tank top and pajama pants, a cup of coffee in his hand. Tired brown eyes looked up at his three standing students.

"Please sit down guys," he muttered, digging the palm of his free hand into his eye as he sat down at his desk, "Mizuki defected from the village last night and was detained before he could escape. Announcing the teams was supposed to be his job but the asshole decided to dump it on me. On top of that, they just called me in a few minutes ago. I'm not in the mood for any bullshit." Seeing their sensei's less-happy-face, the two females scrambled to a seat and Naruto sat back down. "Good, now for the teams," he said, starting from Team 1. "...Team 7, Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura, and Uzumaki Naruto." He winced as he heard Sakura's cry of joy. "Team 8, Inuzuka Kiba, Hyuuga Hinata, and Aburame Shino. Team 9 is still in rotation. Team 10, Yamanaka Ino, Nara Shikamaru, and Akimichi Chouji. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some sleep to catch up on." With one final yawn, the brunette exited the room, slamming the door closed behind him. The room erupted into light chatter until the sensei's started filing into the room to get their students. Sakura whipped around and grinned victoriously at Ino.

"Ha pig! _I _got Sasuke-kun on my team and _you _didn't!" she said with excitement in her voice. **"Shannaro!"** Ino growled at her and let her head fall to the desk with a thump. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. Kurenai and Asuma entered the room soon after.

"I'm here for Team 8," Kurenai said, her red eyes scanning over the remaining students. A downright lecherous grin etched itself onto Kiba's face at having a woman for a sensei. He eyed her body as he, Shino, and Hinata all stood to leave the room. The brunette brushed by Naruto's desk once shove him before exited. Asuma motioned for Shikamaru and his teammates before leaving, his three Genin following him. Finally, the last three remaining were Team 7, waiting on their notoriously late sensei.

**~YaoiLemons~**

Hiruzen stared into his crystal ball with a stoic look, his mind calculating. _'Uzumaki Naruto,'_ he thought, watching as the blond dozed off as he and his teammates waited on their sensei. "A true wild card that boy is." When the boy revealed that the 'old' Naruto was dead and gone, it mildly surprised the old man. While it wasn't surprising the blond was quite strong under that facade of weakness, he _was_ surprised the young boy managed to hide it so well. _'The more I think about it, the more it makes grave sense.'_ A boy orphaned on the day of his birth and hated by the entire village for being something he was not. The blond was a clever one, a trait that people normally didn't want to see in their scapegoat, their enemy. _'So he hid his abilities, making them believe he was dumb and naïve,'_ he mused. _'He even had me fooled. I guess no matter how good-spirited his parents were, that nature was didn't pass onto their hated child.'_

The situation with the boy and the village was not a good one. Konoha's Jinchuuriki, her greatest weapon, being driven away by the very people he was supposed to fight to protect. Sooner or later, the blond was going to leave the village all together, with a high possibility of the boy razing the village to the ground as his parting gift. _'Well at least he's not meddling with the beast's power.'_ And on top of that, he seemed quite close to the other infamous orphan, Uchiha Sasuke. The two were bound together by the hurt of loneliness. The Uchiha wouldn't leave the village due to it being the home of his clan. _'And that in turn will hopefully keep Naruto here.'_ The old Kage turned to the picture of his blond successor whom looked so much like the young blond troubling his mind, the image disappearing from the ball.

_'I can only pray that the God's find something to turn this in Konoha's favor, Minato, Kushina.'_

**~YaoiLemons~**

Naruto vaguely noted that he and his teammates were the only ones left in the room. So that only meant one thing – Kakashi was going to be their sensei. It wasn't really hard to figure out. He had known the older man for years and it was hard not to hear some type of word of his reputation, both good and bad – the man was known for being late to almost everything. So with them still being there and having been for about – he glanced at the clock – an hour, it all clicked in place.

He looked over at his pink haired comrade… he didn't like that word. It made it seem like he was _trying_ to care for these people. Ew, just ew. He glared at the door – that lazy ass needed to get there soon or things wouldn't be pretty.

"Ugh, where is he?" Sakura yelled to the air. Naruto growled lightly, twitching his ringing ears.

"If we knew, he would be here already. Now would you please just shut up until he finally does decide to show?" he grumbled with much agitation. Sakura openly gaped at him. This was not the Naruto she knew. The idiot that was supposed to be her teammate would never say anything to agitate her, let alone insult her. Her eyes narrowed at the blond. She stood from her seat, marching over to the blond and grabbing him by the collar. Naruto growled loudly, warning her to him go but she ignored.

"Listen here Naruto, a change of clothes and shift in attitude isn't going to make anyone take you seriously. You're the same irrelevant idiot you have been all this time and _nothing_ will change that. You'll never be a true ninja!" she barked at him. He grounded his teeth together, attempting to put a cap on his anger. He shoved the girl off of him, watching her tumble into another desk. When she looked back up at him to yell about being shoved, her breath caught in her throat. Normally crystalline blue eyes were as hard and cold as ice chips and his killing intent kept her frozen in place.

"How about _you_ listen here, girl. You're ignorant if you believe everyone is who they seem to be, especially as a ninja. You'll be killed on our first mission if you believe everyone is a friend just from what they show you. The human mind is a fickle thing and can easily be tricked with the numerous jutsu we have at our disposal." The blond walked off, plopping back down into his seat, a scowl on his face.

"**You know, you shouldn't get upset over some worthless worm like her,"** Kurama said despite being amused at his host's miniature temper tantrum.

"_Did you not hear what the fuck she said to me? Talking to me as if I'm some dumb human child beneath her. She's lucky I don't send her to Shinigami-sama with an early death!"_ Kurama chuckled lightly, enjoying the negative emotions coursing through his host. It was enticing – to be so young and so _so_ evil.

"**Calm yourself Naru-chan. Technically speaking, you _are_ a child, seeing as you're twelve and whatnot."**

"_Hush Kurama! You're not helping!" _he thought, blue eyes flashing red. _"Why haven't we left this cesspool of a place yet, again?"_

"**Because kitten, you have not the skills to survive on your own in the wild."**

"_But I have you. Surely that will be enough for now, right?"_

"**You and I both know the second you leave the village without permission with your shionbi status, the old monkey will have his pets nipping at your tail. I _could_ teach you some of the demonic arts but that would have to wait, unfortunately."**Naruto calmed himself, his curiosity quipped. He cocked his head mental at his tenant.

"_The demonic arts? Why have I never heard of these? And why would we have to wait?"_

"**The demonic arts are only for demons. There are a few low classed techniques that are essentially souped up versions of human ninjutsu but such mediocre techniques aren't for those of your... _status_, per say,"** Kurama purred.

"_You're acting like Kakashi, fox."_

"**Nonsense, Naruto-chan. You're the one and only grim reaper in existence just as likewise, I am the only nine-tailed demon with complete control over all five of the elements and their subelements. Beings such as us are worthy of only techniques that suit our high status."**

"_You sure do like getting your ego stroked don't you?"_He could see the shit-eating, sly grin on Kurama's face.

"**I like getting my dick sucked as well, my little deity."**

"_...Mating season must be rolling around again. I'll be sure to avoid you these next couple weeks lest I want to be raped." _

"**Oh come on, Naruto! It was just a joke!"** Kurama laughed, all too amused with his host's distress. Ignoring the blond's sarcastic comment of 'joke my tanned ass' – as well as resisting the urge to make another sexual innuendo – Kurama sighed. **"Now then, demonic jutsu are very powerful. To have a human preform even a small demonic jutsu would probably kill them before they could even finish. The demonic arts draw on Youkai, which humans don't have. Because of this, the jutsu drains all of the human's chakra and life force, no matter how big or small their pool, and kills them instantly."** Kurama stopped, stretching out with a blissful sigh. **"When Shinigami-sama makes you a full-fledged reaper, you'll become immortal, just like a deity and because of your Youkai is dark apposed to being light, it will make you a pure-blooded demon as well."**

"_So I better stay in Konoha until that day?"_

"**Or at least until you get some more reaping under your belt. That way, you can swiftly travel to another village and seek refuge there. A small town would do as well right after you shake the Hunter ANBU trail, which shouldn't be too hard,"** the large demon said, stifling a yawn. **"Well it's time I take my nap. I'll bother you later, Naruto-chan."** Said blond rolled his eyes at the nickname as the demon retreated deeper into his subconscious. He zoned back into the real world just in time to be scooped up bridal style from behind.

"Naru-chan! It's be so long since I've last seen you! My, my, you've grown!" Naruto growled, glaring at the tall, grey-haired man holding him captive.

"Put me down, Kakashi!" he seethed. "Now!"

"Maa, maa, fine. You're such a killjoy," the young Jonin grumbled, setting his blond student down on his feet. Ignoring the twelve year old's murmur of 'stupid, crazy, perverted scarecrows', he turned to his two other teenage students. He waved to Sasuke who in turn nodded his greeting. "And you are, Pinky?" The girl glared at him but answered nonetheless.

"My name is Haruno Sakura." She crossed her arms over her chest. "And _who_ are _you_?" His eyes crinkled up into upside down u's, giving off the impression of a smile.

"I'm Hatake Kakashi, Team 7's Jonin sensei!" Naruto rolled his eyes while Sasuke snorted. Sakura's eyes widened.

"You can't be serious!" she screeched, slapping her hands to her face. "We have the weirdest sensei in the _world_!" she complained, shaking her head. Sasuke raised an eyebrow at her. "It's bad enough we have the dead-last on our team but not this stupid idiot too! We're not going to learn anything!"

"Kakashi happens to be an elite Jonin and one of the strongest Jonin in the village," Sasuke said nonchalantly, mentally laughing at the look of horror on the girl's face. "_And_ he's the only non-Uchiha to have the Sharingan, a rare form of it no less, and has copied over one thousand jutsu with it." Kakashi smiled at the girl, relishing in the strokes to his ego.

"Oh stop Sasuke-kun, you're making me blush," he giggled, not at all acting like a man of his status. Naruto snorted rudely, rolling his eyes.

"As if something as simple as that could make _you_ blush, you pervert," he said, leveling the tall man with an irritated stare. Kakashi bent down to the blond's level who glared at him harder. His gloved hands pinched the blond's cheeks.

"Simmer down, little reaper. We don't need you taking low blows over a little cuddling~! It's not fair!" Naruto growled like an animal, sinking his fangs into Kakashi left hand. "Ow!" The Jonin pulled away from his young upcoming deity, pouting. "That hurt, Naru-chan! Keep your little fangs to yourself!" The blond's eyebrow twitched, his blue eyes narrowing. He slammed his palms on the desk in front of him, the wood splintering.

"Then how about _you_ keep your perverted hands off of _my_ body!"

"But you're just so cute, I could just eat you up! I can't help myself!" Something in Naruto snapped and the blond quickly undid the leather straps that held Jaakai in it's sheath, poising the blade above his head as he leapt for the Jonin. Kakashi's eyes widened and he put his hands in the seal for a shushin. "Alright kiddies, meet me at training ground seven at six a.m. sharp! Ja!" he said in a rush, disappearing right as the blond was millimeters from his face with his blade. The large blade slammed into the ground, making the wood flooring splinter and crack, wood chips flying about. The blond stood from his landing crouch, a scowl on his face as he glared at the wall, wishing it was Kakashi's face. A pale hand gripped the shell of his ear, tugging on it and pulling the blond.

"Come along _little reaper_," Sasuke mocked as he dragged his blond friend with him. "We don't need you causing any more property damage and getting us in trouble." The vicious, fanged scowled stayed etched on the tanned, whiskered face as he was pulled out the door by his ear. Sakura watched, an odd look on her face.

"What a weird team," she muttered as she too left the building, flicking her long pink hair over her shoulder. _'I'll wear my best clothes and perfume tomorrow and ask Sasuke-kun out after we finish our training,'_ she thought, a dreamy look taking over the previous look – there was no way a tired and hungry growing boy like Sasuke could resist her while she was looking drop dead sexy and food at her disposal.

Back in the classroom, the leather sheath laid on the ground, forgotten. Suddenly, its shadow got much darker, practically black, and the sheath seeped into its own shadow, disappearing. Black tendrils creeped from the shadow of the splintered desk, filling all the cracks in it. A lone tendril flowed over to the gash in the ground, filling the hole with its black essence before hardening, sealing the damage. The tendrils withered away, scattering to the wind.

If one were to look in the room, it would look completely untouched, as if there had not been human life in the room just minutes before. It was like an unknown presence was keeping the room tidy behind the living beings.

Almost akin to the nature of a shadow.

**~YaoiLemons~**

**Heart-chan: Aaaaaand done! Woot! This is the longest chapter so far, standing at about four thousand words. Anyway, a few things. I got a review asking if Sasuke knows Naruto is a reaper. I hope this chapter clears that up. If not, Kakashi, Sasuke, and Iruka all know, because they are most closest to Naruto. Also, Jaakai looks a lot like Zabuza's blade. The hilt is made of black metal just like the blade. And the actual blade is practically a replica of Kubikiribocho, only with a medium sized zigzag crescent cut into the left side. And since Jaakai is incomplete, there is a jagged line coming from the middle of the left crescent all the way to almost the bottom of the right side. So yeah, there you have it. Review! And vote! Bai!**


	4. Targeted

**Title: Shinigami no Kage**

**Rated: M**

**Category: Naruto**

**Genre: Adventure/Romance/Horror/Humor**

**Beta'd By: Nobody :3**

**Rated For: Blood Gore Swearing Lemons**

**Pairing: Undecided**

**Summary:** _Have you heard? About the kid so dark and evil, it's like the Shinigami walks the human realm again? They call him the Shinigami's Shadow. Don't close your eyes because before you open them, he'll have you in an eternal darkness._

**Heart-chan: Hello, my beautiful children! Even though my story doesn't receive too much love in the review department, we gets lots of love when it comes to the favorites and follows. On top of that, we have thirteen votes on poll! YAY! Now you may note that there is no bell test – I like to be different and quite frankly we don't need to the bell test, so there. Not too much to say up here other than ENJOY! **

**Poll (as of when I typed this):  
Kurama – 5  
Sasuke – 2  
Kakashi – 2  
Someone from Akatsuki – 2  
Someone from Konoha – 2  
(Updated poll at the end of this chapter)**

**~YaoiLemons~**

_**Chapter 4:** Targeted_

Naruto sighed loudly as he plopped down next to his raven friend, sweat coating his body. Words couldn't even begin to explain the utter boredom he was feeling. Last time he checked, Genin in _other_ villages weren't painting fences, walking dogs, or picking weeds in the scorching hot sun – but alas, Konoha was the peaceful village, all about teamwork and other overrated bullshit. _'I need to get out of th__is__ village,' _the blond grumbled in his mind. He groaned, pulling his damped black shirt off his lithe body and crawled underneath the shade of a nearby tree. "Kakashi!" he called, glaring at the Jonin on the cooled patio of their client's house, "Are we done yet? I'm _dying_ out here!" Sasuke grunted his agreement, a pale arm thrown over his eyes. His face was as pink as Sakura's hair, his pale skin not doing too well in the merciless glare of the sun. "And Sasuke's going to be a cooked chicken in the next twenty minutes!" Kakashi laughed, standing from his seat.

"Alright kiddies! We're done here!" he chirped as he started to walk away. The Jonin's sole female Genin gave a shout of relief, practically running off to go take a shower. Naruto leaned deeper into the shadows of the tree, sinking into his shadow and disappearing completely, his shirt vanishing as well. Sasuke raised his other hand, performing a low level shushin back to his estate. Kakashi chuckled, he too disappearing in a puff of white clouds.

**~YaoiLemons~**

Sarutobi Hiruzen... He had many monikers – the God of Shinobi, the Professor, the longest Kage in office. While being the Hokage was a very well-respected and hard title to achieve, it had it's disadvantages.

Such as going through all the mission scrolls and assigning them to the many different teams and solo ninja under his command.

While it wasn't exactly a _hard_ job – quite the opposite really – it was very repetitive and taxing, having to hear the whines and complains of ninja with nothing to do on their downtime. He _especially_ loathed the complaints of certain Genin straight out of the academy. He lifted his aged eyes to the brown haired Inuzuka grumbling quite loudly to himself about the lack of 'kick ass' missions, as he put it. Kurenai tried to no avail to stop the boy, and opted just the glare at him, hoping he'd get the hint. "Kiba-kun," he started, "What's so wrong with helping the village elders with their groceries?"

"What's _wrong_ with it? What's _right_ about it! We're _ninja_, not a bunch of nurse aids for old people!" Hinata and Kurenai looked appalled with the wild boy, having given up all hope of stopping him and his actions. Just then, the door opened up to reveal Kakashi and his team. Kiba immediately directed his anger to his foxy blond scapegoat. "And why the hell are you here?!" Naruto gave the dog-boy an irritated glance, crossing his arms across his chest.

"To get a mission just like you are if you haven't noticed, shit-for-brains." Kiba bristled but the door opened again, Asuma entering the room with his three students. Naruto sighed quietly to himself. _"He's going to put us all together on a team, isn't he?"_ A deep chuckle resounded from deep in his mind, the terrifying sound not startling the blond in the least.

"**Not too keen on seeing your classmates, Naruto-chan?"**

"_Of course not, especially not the mutt. The last thing I need after that mission earlier is to be stuck with that annoyance for more than a few hours."_ With another mocking laugh, Kurama uttered his parting words.

"**Have fun, kit. I'll be watching."** Naruto scoffed, blue eyes flicking up to the aged brown ones looking back at him – apparently Kurama wouldn't be the only one watching. Sarutobi smiled at the nine Genin, sitting back in his chair.

"Now then, all of the graduating class is here. Kiba-kun, we're you saying that you need more ninja-like missions?" The brunette blinked, nodding. "Well the purpose of those little chores is to work on teamwork within each new squad of Genin. However," he paused, seeing Kiba opening his mouth to protest, "Since you were so adamant about getting a better mission, I have a proposition that'll fill both the purpose of the D-ranked mission and your wishes." He dug into the box of mission scrolls in front of him, retrieving two that were labeled C. Naruto raised an eyebrow, a small smirk forming his face. "I originally planned for Team Seven to take this escort mission to Nami no Kuni, seeing as they've completed the most D-ranked missions so far, but I have also found a C-ranked mission to escort a very wealthy business man to his daughter's betrothed's homeland for her to be married, which is in Shimo no Kuni. That mission would have been assigned jointly to teams Eight and Ten. And on top of that," he was cut off as the door opened yet again. In strolled a man in atrociously tight green spandex, and a Chunin flak jacket, his hair in a bowl and orange legwarmers adorning his caffs. Behind him were a girl in a traditional pink shirt and dark green pants, her brown hair up in two buns, a pale boy with long brunette hair and lavender eyes, identifying him as a Hyuuga, and a mini clone of the Jonin who bounded into the room with much more excitement than needed. The green Jonin saluted, his white teeth sparkling with his good-guy smile.

"Team Gai reporting for duty, Hokage-sama!" he bellowed, much to Naruto's irritation. The Hokage's eyes twinkled in amusement, smiling at the enthusiastic man.

"Excellent timing as always, Gai. Maybe Kakashi can learn a thing or two from you," he mused with a low chuckle. "Now then, Team Gai, I'd like to introduce you to the new Genin. They graduated a few months ago and are all going on their first C-ranked mission. I was hoping you guys could bestow onto them a little of your knowledge. Could someone please send in the client from Nami and the clients from Shimo?" A door in the far corner opened and in stumbled an old man who was, quite frankly, drunk off his ass. He scowled at the four Genin teams.

"I asked for ninja," he slurred, "Not a bunch of snot-nosed brat. I'm not trying to babysit." There were several noises of disappointment and irritation as well as a troublesome from Shikamaru who sighed afterwards. Through the same door came a tall, handsome man in a suit, several expensive looking rings adorning his fingers. He had a head full of brownish-red hair that fell to his shoulders and purple eyes. Behind him was a boy about the Genin's age with wild brown hair that fell into his royal purple eyes. And finally in walked a girl decked in expensive robes, the tails gliding gracefully behind her. She had bright cherry red hair that flowed to her lower back and soft, light purple eyes.

"The rude man on the right is Tazuna, a bridge builder. You are to escort him to his home in Nami. The three on the left are King Yamashi Kudo, Prince Yamashi Heikido, and Princess Yamashi Haikoto. They are going to Shimo. If it's alright with King Kudo, he and his family will be with you all as you escort Tazuna home." The tall man smiled good-naturedly.

"No problem! The wedding for my little princess isn't for another three weeks. And seeing the sites will be wonderful!"

"Well that's wonderful. Teams Gai, Seven, Eight, and Ten will head out tomorrow morning after a good nights rest. Meet with your clients at seven o'clock sharp. Dismissed!" The twelve Genin shuffled out of the room, their sensei and four clients leaving after them.

**~YaoiLemons~**

The sun peaked over the horizon, bathing the village hidden in the leaves in a warming glow, urging her people to wake. At the main gates, three people were gathered, all dressed in pricey clothing. These people were King Kudo and his two children, Heikido and Haikoto. The elder man smiled down at his only children, excited for the trip back home. "Well kids, do you like Konoha?" Haikoto nodded with a soft smile while Heikido rolled his eyes, crossing his arms with an irritated huff.

"I hate it here. And where are those stupid so-called ninja? They're running late!" Kudo chuckled, kneeling down to be eye level with his son.

"Nonsense Heikido! We're just early. I enjoy watching the sun rise in the morning. It's quite refreshing." He looked at the gem encrusted watch on his wrist. "They should be here in the next few minutes." Just then, the royal family saw three people walking towards the gate, Kurenai, Gai, and Asuma. Behind them trailed eleven of the twelve Genin assigned to the joint mission, as well as Tazuna. The aged bridge builder blinked.

"Aren't we missing a few people?" Sakura rolled her eyes and huffed.

"Yeah, my stupid teammate and equally stupid sensei." Heikido gave her an irritated stare.

"If they're as incompetent as you say, then why are they on this mission? It's bad enough we have women on this team." Sakura bristled, glaring at the boy. Kudo laughed nervously, standing between the two.

"Now now, children. No need to get all riled up. Heikido, apologize right now." Said brunette rolled his eyes and turned away, opting to lean against the village gate. Kudo huffed a sigh and shook his head.

"My my, you're quite the disrespectful brat aren't you, Prince?" Heikido whipped around, spotting a hooded figured on top of the gate.

"Remove your hood peasant and show the face I get to laugh at when I have you executed for insult someone of my status!" Tanned hands reached up and plucked the hood from the blond head. Naruto grinned down at the brunette boy, jumped down from his high perch and landing next to Sasuke, who snorted at the blond's entrance, black cloak fluttering down after the blond. "You blond imbecile!" Heikido started but the blond cut him after with a nonchalant wave.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, you'll have me executed, whatever. I hear that everyday. Now then, where's Kakashi?" he asked.

"Good morning, everyone! I had to spy on a certain reaper to make sure he wasn't causing any trouble. But we can go now!" the grey-hair Jonin chirped, his signature orange book in his hands. Kurenai eyed the book with disgust but said nothing. Gai grinned at his fellow Jonin, white teeth sparkling.

"Yosh! Let our great and youthful adventure begin!" And with that enthusiastic declaration, the large group of twenty set off towards the large forest surrounding Konoha.

**~YaoiLemons~**

By the time the sun had risen fully into the sky, the temperature had reached its peak, sunlight blaring down mercilessly on the large group of travelers. But with quiet acceptance, they all trekked on.

"Ugh, fuck! It's hot!"

Or not-so quiet acceptance.

Ino rolled her eyes at the shaggy brunette's complaint. "We're all aware of that, Kiba. If you haven't noticed, we're walking _together_." Kiba growled at the blond, his normal aggressiveness spurred on further by the heat. "And _maybe_ if you took that heavy jacket off, you wouldn't be so hot." The brunette blinked and followed his classmate's advice, sighing at being relieved of his jacket. Underneath, he had a plain white shirt that was slightly damp with sweat, showing off the muscle he had. Ino pursed her lips at the smell of the wild boy's sweat, opting to stand closer to Sakura. Her pale blue eyes swiveled over to her rival's teammate, seeing him conversing with Sasuke. Her eyes narrowed and she nudged Sakura lightly with her elbow. "Why is Sasuke-kun talking to that lowlife?" she whispered, keeping her eyes trained on the two boys at the front of the group. Sakura sighed.

"The two of them are actually really close. They've been friends since that day they tagged-teamed Kiba in the Academy," the pinkette grumbled quietly. "He treats Naruto like an equal, as if he's not the Rookie of the Year and Naruto's not the dead-last. While it's hard to believe, I'm starting to think Naruto really was tricking us all. He doesn't act anything like he did in the Academy." Ino looked over at Sakura in shock.

"Are you kidding me? There's no way they're friends. Nobles don't mingle with no-names! It just doesn't work like that!" she said. Sakura slapped a hand to her mouth, hushing her.

"Ino, shut up! They're right there!"

"It's awfully rude to talk about someone right behind their back. On top of that, you two are very loud," Neji commented, his voice dripping arrogance. "You rookies really know nothing about being a ninja. Shinobi are supposed to be quiet." Ino glared at the long haired boy, sticking her nose in the air.

"So what if it's rude? He can hear me anyway. And it's not like he's going to do anything." At the from of the group, Naruto rolled his eyes.

"I swear, they act like we're not on a mission outside of the village where we can get attacked and killed," the blond muttered, glaring at the older Genin out of the corner of his eye. Sasuke shook his head.

"I have no idea why you let them get to you. You already know they're idiots. Just ignore them and their ignorance."

"Well everyone can't be you, mister tall, dark, and mysterious." Sasuke snickered, stretching his arms high above his head. The two boys both looked over at an oddly-placed puddle. "Are you serious? A puddle on a scorching hot day? People don't get anymore dumb than that."

"I bet the others won't even notice." The two walked right by the puddle, feigning ignorance. Just as the four sensei passed the puddle two tall figures rose out of the puddle, wrapping their linked chain around all of the Jonin and pulled, shredding them all to pieces. The girls all screamed, horror taking over the Genin as the strongest of their group were killed. Neji, Tenten, and Lee all quickly formed a triangle around their four clients. Shikamaru started barking out orders, his genius kicking in immediately.

"Chouji, go complete the formation with Team Gai! Ino, Sakura, and Hinata you go join them too, for extra protection! Naruto, Sasuke, Shino, and Kiba will aid me in battle! Let's go!" Hinata managed to run over on shaky legs, trembling as she stood guard with her cousin and his team. Sakura, Chouji, and Ino were stock still with shock, staring at the carnage with wide, horror-stricken eyes. Kiba was over in the brush, emptying the contents of his stomach. Sasuke and Naruto were both standing off in the back, also staring at the scene. Shikamaru swore, gritting his teeth together.

_'Damn it! This doesn't look good at all,'_ he thought grimly. The two men stood to their full height, their thick garb only allowing their eyes to be seen.

"Oh would you look at this, Aniki. It looks like we caught ourselves some new Genin, judging by their reactions to the death of their only source of protection," Meizu mocked, laughing.

"On top of that, they have a bunch of rich nobles with them! We sure hit the jackpot this time." The shadow user pulled a kunai out of his pouch, standing to defend the others from the two attackers.

_'Troublesome. I really wasn't planning on dying here. But if it's to protect the others, I guess I have to.'_ Someone stepped next to him and glanced to his left, spotting Neji in his clan's basic fighting stance.

"The other four can protect the client and Inuzuka can get the ones in shock moving. With our clan jutsu, we should be able to hold them off long enough for the others to get a safe distance away," he muttered, keeping an eye on their attackers with his doujutsu. Shikamaru nodded, gripping his kunai tighter.

"Wait guys!" Kiba yelled, stalking over to them slowly, his legs slightly wobbly. "That chain of theirs is poisoned. Don't let it touch you at all."

"Hey you idiots!" Heikido yelled, fear overwhelming his being. "Stop standing around like a much of dolts and handle these assholes! We're not paying you to have us killed, damn it!" Gozu grinned at the young boy.

"Too bad, kid! After we take care of these pesky ninja and kill the old guy, we're going to fuck your sister and kill you and your dad afterwards! No hard feelings of course." Lee seemed to take exception to that, glaring absolute hate at the brown haired Chunin.

"You are the lowest of the low," he muttered, black hair shading his eyes from view. "The scum of this earth... You do not deserve to live!" He too stepped up to his three teammates, determination burning in his eyes.

"Gozu and Meizu, the twins also known as the Demon Brothers." Everyone looked back at Naruto, his glowing blue eyes being the only thing visible from under his hood. "C-ranked, Chunin level missing ninja from Kirigakure. You two work alongside Momochi Zabuza after the three of you defected from Kiri as a result of a failed assassination attack on the Mizukage." Gozu chuckled.

"Damn kid, you seem to know everything about us. You must really pay attention in class." The blond giggled softly, his voice much more sensual than normal.

"Hardly. But I _do_ know the two of you are to die, right here, right now," he said, stalking towards them, his irises turned black-as-night and the slit in the center of his eye faded into crystalline blue. The two brothers looked at each other, before snorting and sharing a good laugh. Neji glared over at the blond, looking him straight in the eye.

"Don't get too far ahead of yourself, you fool. While there's four of us and two of them, they're _Chunin_. They can wipe us out with no sweat," he said harshly.

"No need trying to talk sense into him now, pretty boy. The kid in the hood has an obvious death wish! And we'll be sure to fulfill it!" Meizu boasted as he and his brother charged at the blond. He too charged at his opponents, throwing his cloak to the wind. He jumped over the two brunettes, brandishing a kunai to defend himself. The bloodied and barbed chain met the kunai with a loud clang. The twins backed off, running around the blond in circles. Neji's eyes widened as he realized what they were doing.

"_Get out of there now!_" Naruto looked over at the brunette but gasped as the poisoned chain wrapped around his feminine body, binding his arms to his sides. The onlookers watched in horror as the twins appeared on either side of the small blond, grinning viciously at him.

"Such a shame that you're the first one to go, Blondie. Now that I'm getting a good look at you, you're quite cute," Gozu mocked. Meizu laughed boastfully next to him.

"And to think you were talking all that good shit just a few moments ago." Naruto grinned playfully at the younger twin, his unearthly eyes creeping the brunette out just a little. "And just who ordered us to die, brat? We'll be sure to pay him a visit when we're done here." The captured blond laughed loud, the sound seeming far from human.

"As you could defeat my master! And as if these stupid chains could hold me down!" he sneered, wiggling slightly. The barbed chains cut into his skin, causing blood to run down his arms. From across the clearing, Kiba yelled out.

"_You stupid idiot! Did you not hear me when I said those chains were **poisoned**?!_" Gozu gritted his teeth, anger coursing through him as his victim mocked their ability.

"That's it! You die **now**!" Naruto's grin turn downright demonic just as the twin brothers yanked the chain with all their might. The unfortunate blond was shredded into a bunch of small chunks and blood splattered everywhere. "What?!" Gozu yelled as the pieces of the blond turned to black wisps that scattered to the winds. He heard Meizu gasp.

"Gozu, behind you!"

"Wha...?" He turned around quick enough to see Naruto rising from the brunette's shadow, swinging a large blade at him. He stood no chance as the blade ripped into his body, making him cry out in pain. His pain didn't last long, however, as the blond cut him into five pieces with untraceable movements.

"_Aniki, no!_" the remaining brother yelled out, distraught with the gruesome death of his brother. He had no time to grieve as the other end of the chain was yanked hard by his brother's murderer. He cried out loudly with a yell of anger and kicked the blond hard in the chest, using his lithe body to repel back, and disconnecting from his end of the chain. Naruto dropped Jaakai on the ground, the blade disappearing into its own shadow. He grabbed the freed chain from the ground, his shadows creating a black handle on it. A sadistic smirk played at his lips as black eyes watched the brunette rouge-nin, blue catlike pupils baring down on the frightened man. "You... y-you _monster_!" Naruto snarled at the man.

"I'm just a wet-behind-the-ears Genin, remember? And you two called yourselves the Demon Brothers. Such a disappointment." With that, he dashed towards Meizu, jumping over his head. Naruto twisted his body in midair, whipping the chain to wrap around his opponent. Meizu growled but smirked.

"You don't have the other end of the chain, brat! This tactic was meant especially for my brother and I!" Naruto pouted, landing in a crouch not far from the man.

"If I'm such a _monster_ then surely I've thought this through, ne?" he purred, his silky voice carrying mirth as the blond lifted his free hand, closing it in a fist, as if gripping the other end of the barbed chain. Meizu's, along with four conscious Genin on the sidelines, eyes widened as black tendrils rose from the shadow of the chain, forming a small fist around it.

"N-no... No please... Please don't!" Meizu shouted as the blond pulled his hands apart slightly, tightening the chain around his unfortunate target.

"Bye, bye!" he singed as he pulled tighter on the chain. _'C-ranked Chunin Gozu and Meizu,' _he thought, trailing off as he loosened the chains slightly before yanking them tightly. Meizu let out one last, loud scream before he erupted into a fountain of blood. _'Eliminated.'_ His eyes reverted back to their original color and the blond looked over at their group to see the few conscious Genin beginning to help out their paralyzed teammates. He specifically noted the brown eyes staring at his back as he turned towards the forest surrounding, dropping the chain on the ground as it fell into his shadow. "Alright, guys. You can come out now!" On cue, the team's four Jonin jumped from the brush of the forest. The Genin and their four charges looked relieve at the sight of the elder ninja unharmed, sighing in relief. Kakashi eye-smiled at them.

"Good job, guys! Although I'm a little disappointed a few of you froze up, that's okay. But in the battle field, you have to learn to be able to snap into action!" the grey-haired Jonin lectured.

"Kakashi... Surely you're not going to let him go unpunished?" Kurenai asked, horrified at the gruesome nature of the young blond retrieving his cloak from the tree branch it landed on. Kakashi looked back the new Jonin, his smile gone.

"We shinobi are weapons meant to kill for the sake of our village and loved ones. Why should I punish my student for doing the right thing?" Asuma sighed, lighting a cigarette.

"Kakashi's right, Kurenai." The young woman looked like she wanted to say something else but opted to head over to Genin, checking them over like a mother. Gai put a hand on his chin, taking up a thinking pose.

"Now then, what could these two missing ninja want with our little travel group? They were hidden in a puddle so they knew prior to this that we were coming. What, or who I should say, were they after?"

"The bridge builder," Sasuke said, walking towards the three elder men with his hands in his pockets. "They pointedly said they were going to kill the old guy then make off with the Yamashi family's expensive belongings. A C-ranked mission shouldn't have anything to do with battling actual ninja." Kudo's eyes widened as he came to a realization.

"Which mean this old coot lied and put us all in danger!" he yelled, narrowing purple eyes at the cowering elderly man. Tazuna backed away from the king, shuddering at all the glares he was receiving. Kiba growled loudly at the man, Akamaru hissing right along with him. Shino pushed his glasses further up his nose, his furrowed eyebrows giving the impression that he was glaring as well.

"It'd be in your best interest to confess now, or else we won't be responsible for what harm my teammate here brings to you. Those from the Inuzuka clan are big on loyalty and don't take too kindly to liars." As if understanding Shino, Akamaru yipped in agreement. Tazuna twisted his eyes shut, nodded frantically.

"A-alright, alright! I'll talk! The place I'm from, Nami no Kuni, is in a serious depression right now. An evil man named Gatou took over our lands a few months ago, coming there under the guise of a business man. In reality he's a drug dealer and does a lot of business with the underworld. Nami no Kuni is an island so our only way to get our crops and other produce out to others and make profit is by water. But he has that all monopolized too. If I build this bridge to the mainland, we can start trading with the villages again." The man dropped down too his knees, bowing his head until it touched the dirt. "So that's why I beg you please, escort me back home and protect me until our bridge is complete! Then I will pay for the mission in full. I just don't have the money right now – you've got to understand!" Neji snorted, crossing his arms.

"And just what stops this Gatou person from blowing up the bridge after you've completed it?" he asked coldly, not at all pleased with the way things were turning out.

"I was... kind of hoping you'd take Gatou down in the process." Heikido scoffed, turning to walk off.

"Let's leave this stupid peasant here. He's not worth our time. Keeping him here is only going to get the rest of us killed. And I'm not too keen on dying because some poor idiot couldn't afford a proper mission."

"No! We're going to protect him!" Lee exclaimed, a fire burning in his eyes. "There is no way I can leave a defenseless man in the dust while he's trying so hard to protect what's precious to him." Heikido gave the teen a dirty looked but stopped walking, crossing his arms.

"Lee-san is right, Heiki-kun," a soft voice spoke up. Haikoto opened her soft purple eyes, staring her brother right in the face. She glided over to her brother, kneeling down to his level and holding him in her embrace. "I know you're scared, baby brother. It's quite alright, nothing will happen to us, I promise." The brunette seemed to relax in his sister's arms, nodding to her promise.

"Okay, Haikoto." The girl smiled, ruffling her brother's brown locks with a chuckle. The young ninja looked over to their instructors, asking a silence question. Kakashi, being the most experienced of the bunch, sighed.

"Well, it's all up to our little Genin and if they're confident enough in their abilities to continue or go back. Also, I wouldn't recommend us walking at such a slow pace. Not only would it take too long, it makes us obvious targets," Kakashi said. "As Naruto said, the two corpses over there were working under Momochi Zabuza, also known as the Demon of the Mist. He murdered everyone in his academy year when he wasn't even a student yet. On top of being an A-ranked missing-nin, he's one of the Seven Swordsmen, some of the strongest ninja from Kirigakure." He looked over the Genin, cackling inwardly at their terrified faces. "So guys, how about it? Do we leave the poor old man here or do we keep going, heading into unfamiliar territory with creepy missing ninja and an asshole businessman?" He ignored the exasperated look Kurenai gave him.

"I'll go." Sakura whipped over to Sasuke, horror written over her face. She gulped, steeling her resolve.

_'I can't hold Sasuke-kun back,'_ she thought, raising her hand. "I'm going too!" she exclaimed, determination burning in her emerald green eyes. Naruto nodded at Kakashi, staring at him with playful blue eyes.

"I have to go as well. That Zabuza guy is on my master's list as well," the blond said, smirking. Kakashi nodded, turning to the other three Jonin with a smile.

"Well that's my team. Gai? Kurenai? Asuma?"

"I-If forehead is going, then I'm going too! There's no way she's stronger than me!" Ino said, placing her hands on her hips. Shikamaru sighed.

"I guess that means I have to go too. How about you Chouji?" The plump boy nodded, still a little shaken up. Kiba pumped his fists in the air.

"Like hell am I staying here while the others get all the action! We're going too!" he shouted, his two teammates nodding in agreement.

"_Yosh!_ Tenten! Neji! We must aid the younger Genin in their adventures! Nami no Kuni is awaiting us!" Neji shook his head and Tenten laughed at their teammates excitement. The energetic boy got down on one knee, presenting his back to the Haikoto. "Princess Haikoto! If you would do me the honor!" The red-head flushed, shaking her head with a soft smile.

"That's quite alright, Lee-san. I can travel on my own," she said, slipping her robes off. Underneath the white robes, she wore a white tube top with golden trimmings. The left sleeve was missing, as if it was torn off, while the right sleeve pooled down to her wrist. There was a slit in the top near her sizable breasts, revealing a bit of cleavage. The tube top stopped right under ribs, showing her toned stomach to the world. On her hips were tight, white pants with the same golden trimmings as on her top. On her feet were simple white flats, also with golden trimmings. On a golden chain was a glittering, white gem shaped as a tear drop. She passed the white robes over to her father who took them with a sigh. She smiled at the shocked looks she go, pointedly ignore the ogling she was receiving from a certain Genin. "I am ready to travel now."

"Well," Naruto started off. "Who's going to carry who?" Haikoto closed her eyes, bring hands together in a circle. White water started to flow around her out of thin air, coming to stop in front of her and form a sled-like, water shape that hardened into a white stone with three seats. She opened her eyes, gesturing to the cart.

"My family and Tazuna-san can sit in this and I will use my abilities to keep it afloat while we travel. This way, no one is weighed down and can fight when they need to." Heikido smirked and took the front seat, his father sitting behind him and Tazuna taking up the rear. Gai smiled, his teeth sparkling.

"_Yosh!_ Alright everyone! Let's _go_!" And again with Gai's exclamation, the team took off, not knowing what exactly was lying in front of them.

**~YaoiLemons~**

**Heart-chan: Holy shit! Almost six thousand words! I am _awesome_! :D Someone asked me to give a link to what Naruto's blade Jaakai looks like. Unfortunately, we can't post links in FanFictions, so I'll put the link on my profile, all the way at the bottom so you guys know exactly where it is. I've been gone for a few weeks but not too many people read this story. *sadface* I see a lot of people vote on the poll and favorite and follow and I'd really appreciate if you guys reviewed! When I don't get reviews, I feel like no one likes the story and it makes Heart-chan very sad. D: Also, there's two ways to vote for you people who are die hard for a couple. On top of voting in the poll, you can leave a review with the name of the couple you want to see here! Only review once with the couples please! With that said, here are the updated standings on the poll! Kurama is kicking some serious ass! Also, I've decided to add a few more people! So vote, vote, vote! Ja ne! (By the way, I don't own the images of what I want Naruto's weapons to look like. So don't hold them to me. Yeah.)**

**Poll: (as of 8/1/2013, when I post this)**

**Kurama – 6  
Kakashi – 3  
Someone from Akatsuki – 3  
Sasuke – 2  
Someone from Konoha – 2  
Itachi – 0  
Shinigami – 0**


	5. Angel

**Title: Shinigami no Kage**

**Rated: M**

**Category: Naruto**

**Genre: Adventure/Romance/Horror/Humor**

**Beta'd By: Nobody :3**

**Rated For: Blood Gore Swearing Lemons**

**Pairing: Undecided (Go Vote! And Review!)**

**Summary:** _Have you heard? About the kid so dark and evil, it's like the Shinigami walks the human realm again? They call him the Shinigami's Shadow. Don't close your eyes because before you open them, he'll have you in an eternal darkness._

**Heart-chan: Hai! Still not a lot of traffic. Seems as though a lot of people, one thousand of them actually, read the first chapter and then decide they don't like the story *sadface* But whatever, I'll try to keep my spirits high! So I got two reviews that I want to reply to! One was about the pairing. Someone would like to see Naruto as seme to a few others. Not that I have a problem with NaruSeme, I just see Naruto as an uke. An incredible adorable one at that. I know its uncommon to see Naruto seme to typically dominate characters like Kurama and Itachi and whatnot but even with that said, I like Naru-chan as Naru-chan. Sorry. So for everyone else who is voting, _Naruto will be the uke, the bottom, the receiver!_ I also got a review asking about the sudden onslaught of OCs! You will find out in this chapter!... I think. I dunno yet if this chapter will complete the whole Wave plus my little twist arch but you guys should still know why all these people are here. OH YEAH I got an older review asking if Naru-chan would get a harem. No harem. But _maaaaaaybe _more than one person. Maybe. So yeah. Big ole paragraph at the start of the chapter. Got a lot of votes on the poll! And that's about it. Well enjoy chapter five of Shinigami no Kage!**

**Poll (as of 8/4/13):  
Kurama – 14 O.o  
Sasuke – 4  
Kakashi – 4  
Someone from Akatsuki – 3  
Someone from Konoha – 2  
Itachi – 1  
Shinigami – 1 O.O  
(Updated at the end of chapter)**

**~YaoiLemons~**

_**Chapter 5:** Angel_

A tense silence wafted about the room, its few occupants in a fierce stare-off. "You said they'd take care of it," someone said through gritted teeth. This man was short with a head full of hazel brown hair and decked in an all black suit. "I'm not paying you to sit on your ass all day, you big oaf!" A small growl was heard but the figure on the other side of the room chuckled, the deep sound making the businessman tremble slightly.

"You're testing my patience, _Gatou_. It seems I may have underestimated the potential of the team protecting the old guy. They sent _four_ teams – that's twelve Genin and four ninja of my caliber. _You_ are going to have to hire someone for me to work with. Otherwise, our deal is void." Gatou snarled. He stepped closer to the larger man but stopped short as the missing-nin jabbed him in the stomach with his blade. "Don't think a shrimp like you can take out a demon such as myself."

"F-fine, I'll hire someone else. You better deal with Tazuna or I will have your head! You can claim to be a demon all you want, but _no one_ can stand against my army of mercenaries," Gatou yelled, trying to hide his fear. He turned to the door, moving to walk out when a voice called out.

"I believe I could be of assistance." Both Zabuza and Gatou turned to the open window, eyeing the hooded figure lounging in the window who's lewd body stretched into a seductive pose. Zabuza instantly could tell this was a woman, judging by her velvety voice and voluptuous, womanly curves. The reasonable amount of cleavage he was eying keyed him in on the gender of the figure as well. A lecherous grin plastered itself on Gatou's face and he sauntered over to the woman. She sat upright in the window sill, crossing her long legs.

"What can I help you with, princess?"

"The handsome devil over there said he needed a partner to handle his target. It happens that my target is on the same team as yours. The two of us will make a formidable team," she said, slipping from the window and seating herself in the swordsman's lap. She leaned down to his ear, pressing her breasts to his chest, and whispered, "Don't you think?" She could practically hear him groaning in his head as she twisted around in his lap, facing the short businessman. Gatou looked displeased.

"Why should I hire you? You're a woman." She giggled, pressing a hand to her mouth under her hood.

"That I am. However I can assure you that you'll get something out of this. In exchange for sending me with him, I'll give you something beyond your wildest dreams – _immortality_." A smirk formed on Gatou's face.

"That's unheard of. Show me." She nodded and pointed a finger at an owl in a tree outside. Suddenly, white lightning shot from her finger tip and zapped the owl right in the chest. Its eyes fluttered and white wisps caught it before it fell from the tree, hovering over to the woman. Invisible markings on her hands glowed golden and she tapped the dead owl once on the forehead and again over its heart. After a few seconds, yellow eyes blinked open and the woman drew a teardrop on the owls chest. The animal glowed white for a moment before the woman released it into the air, the bird taking flight. As it was flying away, the woman zapped it again but the attack was absorbed in the white glow.

"That protective barrier absorbs all jutsu and attacks. It draws energy from nature and converts it into energy that slows aging until it stops all together. Hence, immortality." The short man grinned.

"You have yourself a deal. But I have to ask, what's the catch?"

"I'll be checking in on you every now and again. There are certain things only a man of _your_ position can do for a gal such as myself." Large hands grasped her shoulders and she shuddered as a deep voice rasped in her ear.

"Well surely this beautiful woman of talents has a face and name, ne? Let's see." She pulled back her hood, revealing a beautiful face to match her arousing body. Dark purple eyes seemed permanently situated for the bedroom and her waist-length, bloody red hair fell into her right eye.

"My name is Heruzu and it's a pleasure to work with you."

**~YaoiLemons~**

Sometimes he wondered how he found a friend in the blond incarnation of trouble. True, they were both unfortunate orphans with sad backgrounds, true, they had no tolerance for bullshit, and true, they could agree on most things. But Naruto was... different. He had unearthly power and two minds to help him challenge the unthinkable.. From day one, Naruto was leaps and bounds ahead of him, ahead of their classmates, even some of the elder ninja in the village. And it made him contemplate how Naruto could find strong friendship in someone such as him, a boy from an accursed clan that was wiped practically off the face of the earth in one fell swoop. The blond was a half-demon, the container and student to the strongest of the nine legendary tailed beast, apprentice to _the_ death god, son to two heroes, and an overall genius when his slight anger issues weren't mixed into the play. And to top it all off and make him feel even more unworthy...

_Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto was an upcoming deity._

He still remembered the day that blond bashfully admitted that he was destined to become a mini and more mobile version of the Shinigami. His one and only true friend was going to be a death god that could walk the human plain freely. That thought made him smirk to himself – it was not like too many people could brag about being close to the death god junior. But that thought also made him apprehensive. Naruto would be so busy reaping and doing whatever it is death gods did that he wouldn't have time to worry about a measly human such as himself. An inaudible sigh was the only outward sign of his brooding as he watched his blond friend gliding gracefully among the tree branches in a fashion that shouldn't have been possible. _'He's not going to forget about me, because if he's does, I'm beating his blond ass, deity or not,'_ he thought, smirking as the blond jumped over him, grinning like a madman. Sasuke shot after the younger boy, the two bounding through the trees at amazing speeds.

"Alright, everyone slow down!" Kakashi called. The team stopped instantly, gathering around their leader. "Okay, we're going to stop and rest up for the night."

"But Kakashi, the sun hasn't even begun to set," Kurenai said. Kakashi smiled at her.

"While that's true, we're dealing with a missing ninja and need to come up with some kind of plan. And our little children are tuckered out." True to what the man said, a few of the young Genin seemed to be out of breath. "Hinata, Neji," The two Hyuuga looked up at the grey haired Jonin, "I need you two to scan the perimeter and find a clearing for us."

"There seems to be a clearing surrounded by tall trees a few meters ahead of us," Neji said, relaxing his chakra flow. His cousin did the same.

"T-there's also a stream n-not too far off so we can bathe if need be," the young heiress said softly, not used to all the attention she was receiving.

"Finally!" Kiba exclaimed. "I need to wash all this sweat off of me!" He turned towards his female teammate, grabbing her arm. "Come on Hinata, lead the way!" The indigo haired girl squeaked and flushed but jumped forwards a few branches before jumped down to the forest floor, the rest of the team following. The clearing was a big circle with tall trees whose leaves created a barrier from the hot sun. The sound of running water indicated that there was indeed a stream nearby.

"Alright, Kiba, Shikamaru, and Shino will secure the perimeter. Ino, Sakura, Hinata, and Tenten will set up camp. Sasuke will start the fire with his ninjutsu and Chouji can go gather the sticks. Neji, Lee, and Naruto will gather food," Kakashi said, smiling at them all with his eyes. With few murmurs of irritation, the Genin set off to complete their tasks. Naruto looked over at his two fellow hunters.

"So are we going to stay together or split up?" he asked.

"I've never gone hunting before, Naruto-san. Have you?" Lee asked, subdued for once. Naruto smirked in his head.

"Plenty of times. It's a lot less gruesome compared to killing another human but it can get quite bloody. You have to be very quiet and strike with pinpoint accuracy." Lee looked disturbed at having to kill an animal but Neji kept his expression schooled. "Neji, if you would? I'd like to get this over with." The brunette scoffed, activating his bloodline again.

Back at the camp, Haikoto set the white cart down, her three passengers stepping down. Tazuna looked a little put off at the unusual method of traveling and Haikoto smiled at him apologetically. The cart dissolved into its original liquid form, the white water splashing into the grass and disappearing. Kudo handed his daughter her robes and the teen quickly redressed. The four Jonin faced their charges, a seriousness looming in the air. "Tazuna-san, do you know how many people Gatou sent after you?" Gai asked. The old man shook his head.

"All I know is that monster is out for my head because I oppose his rule."

"Kakashi, are you sure this was a good idea? Gatou may send more than just Zabuza. How are we sure they can handle that? You saw how they reacted to death." Kurenai said, her maternal instincts bubbling to the surface.

"Well Kurenai, we can't just abandon the mission now. Besides, the four of us can handle Zabuza no sweat. He may be a powerful ninja, but four against one isn't exactly a fight someone of his power can battle and win without being severely injured. And if it comes to that point, I know our handful of Genin can finish it off." The black haired woman nodded but her worried expression stayed. "Now, we need a plan. We have no idea where Zabuza is and unfortunately, we'll be surrounded by his element, water. He is trained in the silence killing technique as well. The only plan I can think of is the four of us wailing on him until we tire him out. Not only will that keep him away from the kids, it won't provide him with any time to use his silent killing."

Soon after the sun had started to set, the team and their charges sat down for dinner, courtesy of the three assigned hunters. Kiba and Chouji were the first to enthusiastically dig into their meal, all table manners they could possibly have disappearing. The others ate at a slow pace, not at all worried about having nothing to eat as the deer that was caught was quite large. Tenten looked over at the blond on Team 7, finding him conversing lightly with his teammate. She swallowed what she was eating, tossing the bone into the fire. "Ano, Naruto-san?" Blue eyes looked over to her curiously, blond head cocking to the side. "That blade you used earlier... I didn't get a good look at it but it looked quite unusual. Would you mind if I took a glance at it?" The blond shrugged, reaching behind him and pulling the blade up seemingly out of nowhere. Steel-brown eyes widened at the unearthly beauty of the blade, her mouth opening in a silent gasp. The gold ruins seemed pulse slowly, black metal reflecting the flicker of their campfire.

"What kind of fool carries around a broken blade?" Tenten whipped back, glaring at her brunette teammate fiercely though he seemed undisturbed. Kiba grinned, meat stuck in between his teeth.

"It's as useless as its wielder!" Naruto scoffed, shaking his head.

"Ignorant comment such as those have no affect on me, seeing as they from two arrogant idiots who know nothing about my blade and its abilities. This blade here is incomplete." Neji growled lowly and Kiba stood from his seat.

"K-Kiba-kun please," Hinata pleaded with her teammate. "Sit d-down – there's no need for this."

"No! I'm tired of this _dobe_ thinking he's worth anything! He sits here and insults us as if he's better than us – like some kind of deity. He has no right to speak to us like this! I'm the heir to the Inuzuka clan, and I _refuse_ to let this no name treat me as if I'm his underling." Naruto glared, baring his fangs in irritation.

"Have you ever heard the saying, 'Do onto other as you would like to be done to you'? You treated me like shit all throughout the academy and the second I strike back, it's as if I've tormented you your entire life." The blond looked up into Kiba's eyes, blue catlike ice chips making a shudder run up and down his spine. "Then again, your clan originated in Konohagakure, a village filled to brim with ignorant idiots and pompous assholes. That cesspool is overrun with hypocrites. They'll call you what you're not and beat you for it and when you become what they accused you of being, they refuse to take responsibility. The most peaceful village my ass. Konoha only got to where is through trickery and backstabbing. My clan had done nothing but been completely loyal to Konoha, saving that pathetic village from destruction _three_ times only to be betrayed when Konoha decided it'd be a waste of time to help their most loyal ally," he snarled. "And that's why you never hear of my clan – it's gone because of Konohagakure. And even so, they walk around, parading my clan symbol about like they actually _honor_ my people, when those low lives were its end."

"Uzumaki Naruto, _that is enough_!" Kurenai yelled.

"Is it?" he chuckled darkly, staring into her garnet colored eyes with his own now ruby colored ones. "Is it _really _enough? Just as I said, you'll reprimand me for telling him the truth but won't say anything to him for mocking me because I'm an orphan. You fit the perfect description of a Konoha Jonin – a mindless hypocrite." The woman looked outraged at his accusation.

"That is it! Kakashi, he is _your_ Genin – do something about it!" The grey-haired Jonin sighed.

"Naru-chan, my little reaper, why must you cause me so much trouble? Just like your mother," he muttered. "I understand your plight but could you keep a cap on it until we get back to the village? I don't need Tsume castrating me when she finds out I did nothing as my fox killed her pup... That woman is scary." The other three Jonin looked quite shocked at Kakashi nonchalant way of punishing his blond Genin who snorted in retort.

"You being castrated would do us all some good, you sick pervert," Naruto said, his blade disappearing into his shadow and red eyes fading back to blue. Kakashi eye-smiled at his youngest student before looking over to the other Jonin.

"See? Problem solved. You should keep a leash on your hound, Kurenai. He'll get himself killed with remarks like that. If he said something stupid like that to Zabuza, his head would be removed from his shoulders before he could blink." Kiba paled at that, plopping back into his seat lifelessly. Haikoto giggled, her wide purple eyes concentrated on Naruto.

"I guess the rumors are true then. He's chosen you as his apprentice." Blue eyes widened before Naruto smirked.

"And if you know about my apprenticeship, then I must be right about you. Besides the color difference, our base abilities are quite similar." The red-head nodded, smiling.

"I should have known when I saw you wielding Jaakai but it didn't click until know. Your personality, the way you tear people down with cruel truthfulness, it's a lot how my master's brother is," she chirped happily. "My master was so happy for him. With an apprentice, he won't be so stressed with his job." Asuma narrowed his eyes at Kakashi's knowing expression.

"Kakashi, what the hell are they talking about?"

"Ah ah, Asuma. It's not my secret to tell. Now then, dinner is finished. Why don't the girls go bathe first and us guys will go afterwards?" Sakura and Ino looked happy at the word bath, and trotted off to get to the stream, the other females in tow. Kakashi stood to go relax in his tent but he was grabbed by his flak jacket collar. "Oh my, Asuma. What's the meaning of this?" The smoker growled.

"What the fuck was that? I understand having secrets within a team but that brat was talking about a master that obviously wasn't you. And you know exactly what they were talking about. This can be counted as treason!" Kakashi gave Asuma a smile, his sole visible eye holding sadistic mirth.

"And if it is? I don't know if you remember but the village pariah is on _my_ team for a reason. The poor boy has been assaulted and betrayed all his life. So I let him keep his secrets. I mean it's only logical for him to have a trick or two up his sleeve. He lives in a village where everyone is his enemy despite him being their protector. It's a little ironic don't you think? Hurting the one who is protecting you." Kakashi yanked himself from Asuma's grip vanishing into his tent. "I'd appreciate if you and Kurenai didn't attack my little Genin. I'm quite fond of him and I wouldn't be too pleased." Asuma stared at the man's tent for a while before scoffing, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it. He looked over to the Jinchuuriki and was shocked to see him grinning like a madman. The blond winked at the elder shinobi before standing and walking out into the surrounding forest.

_'Dumb brat. Hiruzen should killed him the day he was born.'_

**~YaoiLemons~**

"**So, that Yamashi girl is an angel, huh?" **Kurama asked. Naruto nodded. He was perched up in a tree that towered over the others, basking in the glow of the moon. If one where to look closely, they would see the small black wisps of chakra coming of his body. Just as angels were their strongest during the day, creatures such as himself were their most powerful at night.

"_Yup. One of the good ones, anyway."_

"**It kind of makes me wonder – why would an angel need an escort home?"**

"_I bet the evil angels are after her. It would be so like this mission, seeing as the old guy already lied." _He took a deep breath, nose wrinkling as he smell the blood caked on his skin. _"Bath time."_

"**Ooh, my favorite time of the day,"** Kurama purred. Naruto shook his head and closed his eyes, stretching his senses far. He could hear owls hooting, the rustles of tiny animals, the males of his team splashing around in the river not too far off, the cackling of their campfire and the girls conversing. His brow furrowed.

_'Wait... is that a...?'_

He could hear the roar of a waterfall.

His grin, oh-so similar to that of a cheshire cat, threatened to split his face into two as he jumped off his perch, traipsing into a free fall. He landed on a branch in a crouch and sprung back into the air with a powerful leap. Naruto continued to make his way through the forest, the roaring of the waterfall getting louder and louder. The seemingly endless foliage finally came to an end and Naruto gasped as he found what he was looking for.

The beautiful clear water from the stream formed into a small waterfall that was quite quiet compared to its larger counterparts. The water fell into a near-perfect, circle shaped pool of water that then continued to flow as a stream. He jumped to the top of the waterfall, admiring the smooth stone of the cliff that looked over the pond. The blond kicked his sandals off and pulled his shirt over his head, shimmying his pants down tanned legs. After slipping out of his boxers, he dived head first into the water below, a breath of air leaving his body in content as the cool water caressed his body. He swam back up to the surface, floating on his back and kicking lightly. _'This is nice,'_ he sighed to himself.

_Oh my, Naruto-sama..._

_It's been four years..._

_Yet this is such an awkward reunion..._

_Yes, yes, awkward indeed..._

The blond shot up in the water, keep his body up to his shoulders submerged the water, pushing chakra lightly to his feet to keep him afloat. "I'm guessing Shinigami-sama would like to see me?"

_Yes, he would..._

_We will go get him..._

_It's about time for him to see you again..._

_After these lengthy four years..._

Naruto nodded to the Shinigami's minions, who's presence and alluring aura vanished soon after. He sighed. _'Of all the times for a reunion,'_ he thought. The demonic and deathly signature of the death god soon surrounded him and he looked up into the black orbs of his master. "Shinigami-sama."

"**Naruto, my child! So nice to see you... I seemed to have caught you at a bad time."** The deity's face scrunched up as if disgusted. **"Kurama, I'd greatly appreciate if you kept your thoughts of boning my apprentice to _yourself_, as they are images I would not like staining my mind's eye,"** he grumbled. Kurama purred within Naruto's mind and the blond flushed lightly.

"**But Shinigami-sama,"** the demon said. **"I've been locked in this god forsaken cage for _so long_ and Naru-chan never gives me any freedom. I've been _dying_ to release this pent up frustration but I'm staring at three walls and a bunch of giant iron bars all damn day!" **The Shinigami rolled his eyes.

"**Oh, you poor thing,"** he murmured, sounding anything but sorry. **"Now then, Naruto, I'm aware you met one of Kami's angels, Haikoto. As you can see, she's not one of the fallen angels. However, she has an older sister who is. You may or may not encounter her on this trip." **His face gained a serious tone that made Naruto uneasy. **"Beware of her. She was one of Kami's stronger angels before she 'fell from heaven', per say. Light and Darkness aren't meant to mix, understand Naruto?"**

"Hai, I understand Shinigami-sama."

"**Now then, congratulations on your first two premature reaps! Although the way they were killed were quite gruesome, they made it."**

"Premature reaps? Why do they have to be premature?"

"**They're premature because you don't have a reaper scythe yet. Everyone who dies is sent to a place called Choukan no Sekai, or the In-Between Realm. We call it Sekai for short. A soul stays there until I get around to them. If that person has done something revolutionizing in a positive way, one of Kami's angels is sent to retrieve that soul and it is reincarnated as a new person similar to that of the souls previous body. I, on the other hand, am left with everyone else. Not _only_ do I have to deal with the people who die on a day to day basis and have to cast their souls to the line awaiting to be reassigned by Kami's angels as a clean slate, people who are truly evil or attempting to toy with immortality are supposed to be taken to Makai, which dumb humans often deem as hell," **the Shinigami said, sitting with his legs crossed, the ends of his robes almost touching the water. **"Makai isn't hell – it's a realm for demons, who are souls of wickedness. It's a place where everyone can be an asshole and there's nothing wrong with it. Anyway, since Jaakai is a result of my power, souls reaped by it are pushed towards my casting queue. However, some of those souls don't _get in line_ and make my job harder. Since I have so much to do, certain evil souls are reincarnated by humans meddling with things they shouldn't. When Jaakai is complete and you have your own reaping scythe, those evil souls will be pushed to the front of my casting queue and therefore can't be reincarnated."** Naruto blinked a few time, nodding at the explanation.

"Well how exactly am I supposed to speed up completing Jaakai?"

"**Jaakai is a blade that feeds off darkness. The darker the soul you harvest, the closer you'll be to becoming a full-fledged reaper."** The Shinigami suddenly grinned, mischief written all over his face. **"Jaakai is very adaptive – it won't consume a soul that is less dark or as dark than your previous reap. So your targets get harder and harder each time!"** The blond reaper in-training sighed – it seemed everyone he knew was out to torture him one way or another.

"If that's the case, why haven't I gotten anything for my two reaps earlier?"

"**I haven't gotten to them yet, my child,"** came the taunted reply. The Shinigami disappeared and Naruto relaxed into the water, sighing in disappointment. **"But, since it was your first, I'll give you your reward now."** Before the blond could react to the whisper in his ear, fangs buried themselves into his shoulder and he cried out, power racing through his veins. Much like before, the burn of fire spread across his back, only this time the same pain enflamed on his right wrist. The Shinigami removed his teeth from the tanned shoulder, catching the blond before he fell back in the water. Blue eyes blinked, only opening to half-mass as he reveled in the orgasmic feeling of power pumping rapidly through his body. Clawed hands gently grasped the sides of his face and tilted his neck so he could see his reflection in the water of the pond. **"Look at you,"** he muttered. Naruto's whisker markings were slightly bolder than before and blond hair reached his under back, still stained black at the tips. His fangs were sharper too, giving him a feral look. **"Soon, you'll have to hide these features lest you want the humans of Konoha to see you like this. Well now, it is time for me to take my leave. As you know, Gods can't stay in the human world for long. Farewell, _Naruto._"** With the death god gone, the blond sluggishly swam to the edge of the pond, pulling himself out with much effort.

"_I'm so... tired. Why... am I so tired?" _He shuffled over to the edge of the waterfall, jumping clumsily to the top where his clothes were.

"**Naru-chan,"** Kurama called, his voice soothing to his dazed host. **"It's only natural for one to feel exhausted after their first taste of great pleasure. I would have never guessed you got off on power."** He wiggled on his boxers and pants, gathering his shirt and sandals in his hand.

"_Not just any... I want dark power."_ Peering over the edge of the cliff, he spotted a ledge which he jumped to, placing a hand on the large rock structure to keep him steady. Sighing in relief at the sight of a surprisingly clean cave tucked behind the waterfall, he trekked inside and dropped his belongings to the floor. He swayed a few times before falling backwards, sleep claiming him before his shadows caught him from hitting the floor.

**~YaoiLemons~**

"_Good morning, everyone~!_" There were simultaneous groans of irritation at the loud exclamation that roused the Konoha ninja from their sleep. Kakashi and Gai stood next to each other, already dressed and ready to go. Gai grinned, his teeth sparkling. "Rise and shine, my youthful Genin! It is time for us to continue our adventure to Nami no Kuni!"

"A-ano, Gai-sensei," came a small squeak. The man rounded on the Hyuuga heiress and got in her face, startling her.

"Yes, Hinata?" She seemed to panic and took a few steps back.

"I don't s-sense Naruto-kun's chakra s-signature in the immediate a-area. Did h-he leave early?" Gai stood up straight, assuming his thinking pose.

"No I don't believe so," he said trailing off. "I was the first one up this morning so I would have heard him leave." Kiba yawned loudly and plopped an arm around his teammate, making her jump.

"Naruto-baka wasn't even here when we got ready for bed last night. I saw him sneak off after he got in trouble with Kurenai-sensei." Hinata's eyes widened.

"A-And he hasn't returned? What i-if something has h-happened to him?" Kiba snorted, cleaning his ear with his pinky.

"Then good riddance," he muttered. The indigo haired girl wiggled out of his hold, running over to Kakashi. The man smiled at her.

"It's okay, little Hyuuga princess. Naruto-chan knows how to handle himself in the wild. We're going to go find him after everyone is ready." She nodded and walked off to go help the other girls get ready. Kiba waltzed off as well, joining his fellow males. Soon, the Konoha team minus one were all packed up. Haikoto had remade her cart and was in her tighter attire, her three passengers onboard. "Alright everyone," Kakashi called. "You may or may not have noticed, but Naruto is missing though I know he's around here somewhere. We're are to keep heading towards Nami and hope we come across him on the way there. If we don't, he'll catch up eventually." With that said, the team took off. After about ten minutes of travel, Hinata's voice echoed from the back of the group.

"I sense a weak chakra signature about ten meters away! I believe it's Naruto-kun!" Weak signature – both the two young Hyuuga and the Jonin knew exactly what that meant. Either someone was had exhausted all their chakra, or... they were close to death. Sasuke was the first to branch off from the group, heading towards the roar of a nearby waterfall. The group arrived to a beautiful waterfall, spotting Sasuke on a ledge before he walked behind the waterfall. The raven scoffed as he spotted the blond laid out on his back, floating up and down rhythmically a few inches off the floor of the cave. He walked over to the Jinchuuriki, observing the two rings black rings of kanji inscribed around the blond's wrists. He grabbed Naruto's wrist and tugged harshly, making the sleeping teen fall to the floor. Blue eyes snapped open and focused on his raven haired friend who stood smirking down at him. Naruto growled, digging the palm of his hand into his eye with a yawn.

"You're such a dick, Sasuke," he said, pushing himself to his feet. He slipped his feet into his sandals and stretched, giving Sasuke an eyeful of his lithe, curvy tanned body. He grabbed his shirt and slung it over his shoulder as the two left the cave. Naruto smiled innocently and waved enthusiastically at Asuma who tried to hide his scowl at being mocked. "Good morning, guys! Have a good sleep?" He snickered to himself at the glares he got as the team trailed back towards the forest to take off to Nami.

"I wonder what goes through your head half of the time, Naruto," Sasuke sighed as they took off into the trees. Naruto finally tugged his shirt on, grinned at his best friend.

"Messing with people is fun."

"I bet it is."

**~YaoiLemons~**

"So, Zabuza-sama, are we going attack all at once?" Haku asked as he, Zabuza, and Heruzu relaxed in the rogue ninja's hotel room. Heruzu snorted, her dark colored eyes swiveling over to the boy.

"Of course we're going to attack in a group. It would be foolish to attack one by one." Haku bit his lip under his mask, his brown eyes glaring at the floor. He looked to his master. Catching the teen's gaze, Zabuza hummed.

"No, Haku. I'm going to go in first and test their abilities, maybe take out one of the Jonin. You'll wait nearby, Haku."

"Hai Zabuza-sama." Heruzu narrowed her eyes at the man, her pink lips pressing into a thin line.

"Are you trying to get yourself killed? And have you forgotten about me?" Zabuza seemed to smirk.

"If it gets that bad, Haku is a highly skilled medic. You can do whatever you damn well please and I will do the same. No one is stopping you from going after your target, Heruzu." The red-head pouted, strutting over to the tall man and sit in his lap again. Haku could practically see his master coming undone at the woman's touch and scowled.

"Oh come now, Zabuza-kun," she purred, lapping at the shell of his ear. "Rushing in there by yourself is very dangerous. And it wouldn't do you for to die before we were to get properly _acquainted_." The woman grabbed the shinobi's crotch and smirked when he groaned. Haku heard himself growling and snapped before he could think.

"Would you get off of him, you retched bitch? This is highly unprofessional! You can do whatever you please, he said that. You can bring the dead back to life so it's obvious you're more than capable of taking out your target. So just _stop_!" The two looked at the angry brunette in shock. Zabuza chuckled.

"Well, you heard him. You can either strike when I do or wait." The woman frowned, lifting herself onto her feet.

"I'll strike with you. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going for a walk." The playful tone in her voice was gone as she exited the door. Haku sighed when he caught Zabuza staring at Heruzu's swaying hips. He really didn't like that woman.

He didn't like her at all.

**~YaoiLemons~**

**Heart-chan: Hey guys! It's seems as though most of my updates are late at night. ^.^ We have a total of 19 reviews, 48 follows and 29 favorites... Not counting this chapter, we have about 16k words... I'm not trying to be a beggar but that's really disappointing considering how much I put into the story. Even after I post a chapter, I get a review or two in the first few days and then my email gets no more action for the next couple days. It really makes me sad and makes me feel like not too many people like this story. I write because not only do I enjoy it but I like entertaining others. With that said, I may stop writing this story. What's the point of writing if barely anyone reads? I feel like it's a waste of time. Off of that depressing note, I have a question – summaries are pretty much everything in attracting people to stories. Please, please, please leave a recommendation for a new summary in a review. Maybe if I change that, more people will be interested. That is all, Ja Ne! (Also, some people want Naruto to be cannibal again – how does everyone feel about that?)**

**Poll (as of right before posting this):  
Kurama – 16  
Sasuke – 4  
Kakashi – 4  
Someone from Akatsuki – 3  
Someone from Konoha – 2  
Itachi – 1  
Shinigami – 1  
KuraNaruShini – 1 (^.^ Suggested in a review)**


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